What's next for Gridology?
Please take the reader survey to help me make Gridology better
No traditional post today. I’ll be taking some time off to figure out what’s next for Gridology, and I’d love your help. Please take the reader survey below to share your thoughts. If you want to chat about your experience reading this newsletter, I’d love to speak with you. Feel free to drop me a line, and we can set something up.
Nearly nine months ago on March 8, I published the first Gridology post. Every Sunday morning since, there’s been an email from gridology@substack.com in your inbox. That weekly deadline felt like a forgotten friend. From 2007 to 2015, I had an article due nearly every week between my work for the high school newspaper and my journalism classes at Northwestern. However, somewhere along the way after graduation, I stopped writing. The deadline disappeared and so did hitting publish on my work.
There’s something special about writing in public vs. writing in private. The former breeds consistency. The latter breeds intimacy. When others are expecting your work, you actually get something written. When you’re only writing for yourself, it’s easy to procrastinate to the point of avoidance. That said, some of the most important writing I’ve ever done has not been published, nor will it ever be published.
Either way, whether it’s in public or private, writing is cathartic for me. It detangles ideas. It transforms the confusing into the straightforward. It forces me to spend time with my thoughts rather than ignoring them. I’ve missed it. Thank you all for being part of this journey in what has been a wild 2020.
I started this newsletter with just one goal: to give myself a real deadline so I could start consistently writing again. Going in, I had no expectations. Right now, I’m floored at what’s transpired.
Some 2020 Gridology Highlights
There are 271 people who are subscribed
I was featured on a podcast
I spoke on a side projects panel
I featured six awesome writers and companies through collaborations
Substack analytics aren’t the best, but Gridology posts have received ~10k views
Jeff Weiner read and commented on one of my posts
I made lots of Internet friends through Compound Writing
I detangled tons of thoughts and ideas by writing consistently for 37 weeks
My writing improved (I know that because I’ve reread my first 10 posts and would heavily edit them)
I started a podcast (more to come there)
In an effort to always put out writing I find valuable, I’m going to be taking a short break to refocus, retool, and realign on the type of content I want to publish. While my consecutive writing streak will come to an end, sometimes it’s vital to take a moment to reflect.
With the remaining time I usually occupy on your Sunday morning, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could use it to complete this short reader survey I prepared.
And again, if you have some time and you’d love to jump on a call to discuss Gridology, I’d love that, too.
Wishing you all the best this holiday season. Stay safe.
Life’s only as confusing as you let it be,
Ross
If you enjoyed today’s post, please consider forwarding it to your friends, family, or colleagues. As always, please reply to this note or find me on Twitter if you have any feedback, have ideas for a post, or want to collaborate. Want more from Gridology? You can always access the entire archive here or you can check out the podcast.