Your thoughts about work echo things I have been feeling but couldn't explicitly express.
I chose to save up for my trip abroad via agriculture. The difference in attitudes towards work is really interesting to see. Also, the work day ending early allows me the time to reflect on my future as a person and worker (I'm 21).
So thank you and I look forward to reading you in 2024.
As someone who spent a good many years in search of something that I found satisfying and meaningful to do with my life that coincidentally would also pay enough to at least survive if not exactly thrive, it sure would have been nice to have had access to people like you on the internet. Now of course looking back at age 70, I wouldn't have had it any other way as the last 25 years (and hopefully future 25 years) paid off in ways I would NEVER have predicted. So the "work" may well be in the search for what we can do that we find satisying and meaningful and the rest falls out of that...and I think that is the root of "The Pathless Path". I save lots of your posts for my 14's to read when they start to wrestle with life, so thanks thanks for your work!
Bill, thanks so much for this reflection. I'm always inspired to hear from people ahead of me who still seem to be playing a similar game. And thank you for the support!
Paul I appreciate your honesty. I loved the recent podcast with Jon. The discussion of raising kids to be able to feel their emotions was brilliant. We need more discussion around this. We also need more stories around parents on the pathless path, and low-income workers on the pathless path. The values of freedom, mobility and creativity are starting to be sought more broadly, beyond tech workers and digital nomads.
I had to sit with this question for a couple days, but I think the work of Parker Palmer, especially what he has written about vocation and community, has been very relevant and helpful for me. Though written from his perspective of being on a spiritual quest, he shares many of the ways that “default paths” can show up in various arenas of life.
Four years ago, I quit my job, took my five kids out of school, sold the house, and started living in an RV, traveling across the country.
I've recently self-published a book about the reasons behind this decision and what I've learned from it. and now I need help spreading the word and marketing it.
Can you point me to resources where I can learn how to sell my book? Or to someone who could assist me?
Cedric Chin shared an essay from Dan Luu a few weeks ago.
He wrote:
"The core argument that Luu makes is that sometimes measuring things results in massive change, because it makes some quality more legible to businesses / consumers / the market. Therefore, measuring and releasing benchmarks can be a massively underrated lever for creating real impact in the world."
Reminds me of the coined terms. Increasing legibility brings more attention to concepts. It makes abstract things into lego blocks that can be built on.
Thanks for the newsletter. The third thing on curiosity stream kind of hit me.
I am trying to figure out what i should be creating and sharing. May be I should allow my curiosity to flow and do some retrospective over my posts and comments last year to figure out what I really like to talk.
I love spotting "clues" around a certain theme and then writing about that. This is a good reminder to zoom out and see what people may have been pointing out about my broader writing/life, too. Thanks for sharing this Paul, and have a great Christmas!
Your thoughts about work echo things I have been feeling but couldn't explicitly express.
I chose to save up for my trip abroad via agriculture. The difference in attitudes towards work is really interesting to see. Also, the work day ending early allows me the time to reflect on my future as a person and worker (I'm 21).
So thank you and I look forward to reading you in 2024.
As someone who spent a good many years in search of something that I found satisfying and meaningful to do with my life that coincidentally would also pay enough to at least survive if not exactly thrive, it sure would have been nice to have had access to people like you on the internet. Now of course looking back at age 70, I wouldn't have had it any other way as the last 25 years (and hopefully future 25 years) paid off in ways I would NEVER have predicted. So the "work" may well be in the search for what we can do that we find satisying and meaningful and the rest falls out of that...and I think that is the root of "The Pathless Path". I save lots of your posts for my 14's to read when they start to wrestle with life, so thanks thanks for your work!
Bill, thanks so much for this reflection. I'm always inspired to hear from people ahead of me who still seem to be playing a similar game. And thank you for the support!
Paul I appreciate your honesty. I loved the recent podcast with Jon. The discussion of raising kids to be able to feel their emotions was brilliant. We need more discussion around this. We also need more stories around parents on the pathless path, and low-income workers on the pathless path. The values of freedom, mobility and creativity are starting to be sought more broadly, beyond tech workers and digital nomads.
any recs for me to reach out to or read more about?
I had to sit with this question for a couple days, but I think the work of Parker Palmer, especially what he has written about vocation and community, has been very relevant and helpful for me. Though written from his perspective of being on a spiritual quest, he shares many of the ways that “default paths” can show up in various arenas of life.
You've inspired me to coin some terms! So often I might try to explain something I see, but without coining a term it's less sticky. Many thanks Paul.
Wow. Reading your piece I just realized how many terms I have personally coined that I had never even noticed!
"Reflective experience", "irresistible consultant", "anti-mentor", "upside-down networking", and who knows how many more...
Is there something there? Who knows.
I am working through Pathless Path right now. Loving it so far! Happy holidays, also from Connecticut.
The classic decade long overnight success 😁
Absolute gold here, Paul. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Paul. Hey, guys.
Four years ago, I quit my job, took my five kids out of school, sold the house, and started living in an RV, traveling across the country.
I've recently self-published a book about the reasons behind this decision and what I've learned from it. and now I need help spreading the word and marketing it.
Can you point me to resources where I can learn how to sell my book? Or to someone who could assist me?
Here is the book: [https://a.co/d/5KHbgmK](https://a.co/d/5KHbgmK)
Sounds awesome! You have a good number of reviews too!
Thanks, Jordan.
I’m struggling to marketing it.
Paul is the right guy to talk to about this no doubt, as his results speaks for itself.
I am hoping to do a hybrid route down the line. How did you get your 30 reviews on Amazon?
I hope Paul sends some suggestions.
i dont have tons to add around marketing, i wrote up some reflections of why i think my approach worked here:
https://pathlesspath.com/selfpublishinglessons/
Thank you, Paul.
Your deck has helped me a lot during the publishing phase!
But since I don't have an audience, I'm looking for ways to reach people outside my family members and the robots who follow me. ╹◡╹
Thank you,
Ben.
Asking people.
Cedric Chin shared an essay from Dan Luu a few weeks ago.
He wrote:
"The core argument that Luu makes is that sometimes measuring things results in massive change, because it makes some quality more legible to businesses / consumers / the market. Therefore, measuring and releasing benchmarks can be a massively underrated lever for creating real impact in the world."
Reminds me of the coined terms. Increasing legibility brings more attention to concepts. It makes abstract things into lego blocks that can be built on.
Original essay from Dan Luu here: https://danluu.com/why-benchmark/
Thank you Paul.
Thanks for the newsletter. The third thing on curiosity stream kind of hit me.
I am trying to figure out what i should be creating and sharing. May be I should allow my curiosity to flow and do some retrospective over my posts and comments last year to figure out what I really like to talk.
Someone's gotta coin a term for coining terms.
Coin throwing? Connotation of making a wish and throwing coins into a fountain. "He's an inveterate coin thrower"?
Meh. Someone please do better.
Coinesseur
I love spotting "clues" around a certain theme and then writing about that. This is a good reminder to zoom out and see what people may have been pointing out about my broader writing/life, too. Thanks for sharing this Paul, and have a great Christmas!