I Know I Write Too Much

I've been losing subscribers lately, and I know why. Well, I think I know why.

First, people tell me all the time that I write too much. Which is code for: Stop spamming my inbox every morning at 5am PST. I've also heard it means they don't like feeling like they have to try and keep up, as there is an expectation to my content each day.

Second, it could be because the content isn't exactly killer every single day, and I know this, and frankly, I'm ok with it. Sure, some days I know I can write a banger of an article, and some days it's mediocre crap. Some days I tell great stories, and some days I go right into the topic without much setup.

Part of me thinks I should stop writing daily and go to a schedule of 2-3 times per week. Part of me thinks fuck that, I want to keep producing daily content whether you like it or not.

The thing is, I produce this content almost for me at times, and the audience is the cherry on top. I love to write. I love to share my thoughts, my experiences, my stories, and if I enjoy it then I guess that's really all that matters.

I think there's a difference between changing because something isn't working and changing because you're afraid someone won't like it. Those are two completely different things, and I think we confuse them all the time. One is growth. The other is trying to make yourself more acceptable to everyone, which is an impossible game to win.

If I stop writing every day because I genuinely don't enjoy it anymore, that's one thing. If I stop because a handful of people think I write too much, that's another. I don't want to make decisions about something I love based entirely on the people who were probably never going to love it the way I do anyway.

The same thing applies to your career. You should absolutely listen when your boss tells you something needs to improve. You should pay attention when multiple people give you the same feedback. You should be willing to look in the mirror and admit when you're getting something wrong. But that doesn't mean every piece of feedback requires you to rebuild yourself around it.

The goal isn't to become the version of yourself that gets the fewest complaints. The goal is to become better without sanding off every edge that makes you who you are.

Sometimes the feedback is simply information. You take it in, you think about it, you decide what's useful, and then you keep moving. The goal isn't to become the version of yourself that gets the fewest complaints. The goal is to become better without sanding off every edge that makes you who you are.

So maybe I'll lose some subscribers by continuing to write every day. Maybe some people will keep thinking it's too much. I can live with that. I'd rather keep doing something I love, keep getting better at it, and let the right people stick around than optimize the hell out of this until one day I wake up and realize I don't even enjoy writing anymore.