10 unusual lessons from 100 editions of newsletter
The lessons you learn only by doing
Raw and Real Conversation
Hello hello my friend,
This is the 100th edition of Raw and Real.
100 weeks, back to back.
100 weeks, of me opening up my heart like I have never before.
100 weeks, of an authentic newsletter on the web, that I am super proud of.
So I sat down to reflect on some superimportant lessons I have learnt over the last two years, that might help you as well:
1. The best art is created in a fluke.
This newsletter wasn’t something I had planned for. It was initially an internal newsletter I would write to my team at wariCrew. Once I resigned, I realised I was enjoying it a lot. Heck, the team was enjoying it too (they nudged me to start it again after I had stopped it thanks to Mr. Self Doubt). So, I made it a public newsletter once I moved on. Without worrying about the consequences.
It turns out, the emails or DMs I get are full of love from you all. So, thank you :)
2. You should do things because you want to, not because everyone else is doing them.
Tim Ferris’ number one online asset is his podcast. For James Clear, it is his 3-2-1 newsletter. For Adam Grant, I see him equally everywhere, with almost negligible writing on his newsletter.
It turns out, even the best in the game aren’t playing the same game. They are playing the game they think is right.
So, my friend, which game do you think is right? How can you play it often?
3. A day and a time works wonders.
90% of the times my newsletter is on time. Now I am aiming at 100% accuracy. It turns out, when you commit a day and a time, which is Saturday at 8.30 am IST in my case, the universe moves in different directions to help you out.
4. You need to share your work.
Never have I ever regretted on promoting my newsletter ever. It is because I know it has value that would resonate with so many people.
Share your work. And also check out this blog on how ideas spread by Seth Godin.
5. There is a pattern.
I am a baby of intuition. But data does tell a lot. The open rate. What kind of subject lines have the maximum opens. What kind of content gets read often. What makes people click with a newsletter.
You shouldn’t obviously have a marriage with the data, but checking it out often always gives you a pattern. Wise ones don’t ignore it.
6. You have to ask the question: “What’s in it for the audience?”
People have too much to read. You should respect the time they give you, and make sure it has something of value that the audience carries away.
This does not mean you have to do 100% random gyaan. I don’t do that either.
But each time I share my story or any other story that I am inspired by, I make sure I share my takeaways at the end, so that the audience knows what I learnt from it. That’s the key.
7. No one loves perfection.
In Raw and Real, I have never been a baby of perfection. I share my most real, vulnerable, authentic thoughts. There have been several times I have wanted to run away after I sent an email here, but a part of me tells me that is what I most need to write.
Those emails that I have wanted to run away from, have also given me some of the least expected but much loved appreciation from readers.
8. Every once a while, an edition will get viral.
It is true for everything in life. Roger Federer didn’t win every match. Virat doesn’t score a century in every match. Not every acquisition by Reliance Industries turns into gold.
But because they keep showing up, keep taking the next step, monumental things keep happening.
Show up. Daily. Applies to all aspects of life.
9. Consistency is your best friend.
Some days, what you want to write will flow effortlessly. Other times, you are trapped. But you show up, nonetheless.
When you don’t stop showing up, compound interest will leave you in awe.
10. You shouldn’t start a newsletter.
Especially if you are doing it out of FOMO.
You should rather start a newsletter for the following reasons:
You are a reader or a writer
Email or long form is your thing
You want to share your thoughts with the world
You read newsletters often, and find them helpful too
You want to reach to people’s inboxes, not just social media which are driven by algorithms
In my opinion, everyone should have a daily blog (even if it is less than 100 words). The thing is, we want others to respect our lives, but we hardly pause to respect an event of 10 seconds out of the last 24 hours and write it out.
At the end, I want to leave you with something I recently found on the internet, and I wish you knew of it too, especially if you doubt yourself about starting your blog or a newsletter:
2 Raw One-Liners:
Letting go helps you the most.
People are mean to you despite you were mellow to them because that is who they are. It ain’t about you. Chill.
3 (For) Real great lines that you should read, too:
If you feel like you’ve got a close call between quitting and persevering, it’s likely that quitting is the better choice. (Quit, by Annie Duke)
Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. (Atomic Habits, by James Clear)
If you won’t believe in yourself, who will? (The Career Changing Guide, by yours truly)
That is it for this week, my friend.
I hope you found it valuable.
Have fun, and I’ll see you next week.
Stay raw, stay real, and never stop reading
Nishtha Gehija
LinkedIn | X | Daily blog | Weekly newsletter
Instant access ebooks for your reading, and spend some time with yourself:
The Corporate Life Handbook: The book everyone working a corporate job needs :)
The Career Changing Guide: My bestseller so far :)
How to Deal with Heartbreak: Because, life happens :(
Every Writer Needs to Read this: I wish I had this one, when I was starting out as a writer
This is What You are Looking for (Paperback): Small Life Lessons for a Happier Life