Lessons from showing up consistently (even when I didn’t feel like it)
Read time: 5 minutes
At the beginning of 2025, I made a simple commitment to myself: Write one newsletter a week.
There was no big strategy or long-term plan. Just a personal challenge to be consistent.
Some weeks it felt easy: ideas flowed, writing was straightforward, and I’d publish something without thinking too much.
Other weeks were very different: busy days, low energy, no idea what to write about.
But I kept going.
And now, over a year later, it’s one of the most valuable things I’ve done.
Gradually it began to pay off and it started to see a shift in a few areas. And since I believe a newsletter is one of the highest leverage things you can create, I wanted to share.
So here’s what writing a weekly newsletter for a year taught me.
1. It builds trust at scale
When someone reads your writing consistently, they start to understand your perspective, values, and how you think. That creates trust before you’ve even spoken. So when they do reach out, the conversation is already warm — and far more likely to turn into something meaningful than a cold introduction.
2. It sharpens your judgement and decision-making
Writing long form content regularly forces you to slow down and clarify your thoughts. You start to notice patterns, refine your opinions, and make better decisions as a result. Some of my biggest decisions haven’t come from external advice, but from sitting down and writing things down.
3. It changes how people perceive you
Before I started writing, both on LinkedIn and this newsletter, I spent more time explaining what I do and what I care about. Now, people often come in with context. They’ve read something, they understand my background, and they already see where I add value. That shift in perception changes the quality of opportunities that come your way.
4. It compounds quietly over time
For a long time, it can feel like nothing is happening. A few replies, some engagement, not much else. But then things start to connect: people reference something you wrote months ago, more replies and conversations happen, opportunities appear. It’s not one piece of content; it’s the accumulation that creates momentum.
5. It creates opportunities you can’t plan for
The most valuable outcomes don’t come directly from one newsletter. They come from the second- and third-order effects. Someone reads, shares it with someone else, introduces you, or reaches out months later. You can’t predict the path, but you can create better conditions for things to happen.
6. It builds self-trust and confidence
Committing to showing up every week, even when you don’t feel like it, builds an inner confidence. You start to trust your own voice, ideas, and ability to follow through. And that self-trust doesn’t stay confined to writing; it carries into how you show up across your work and life.
The takeaway
What I’ve learnt is that a newsletter won’t change your life overnight. But it does something more powerful:
It builds trust, visibility, and opportunity over time. And eventually, that compounds into outcomes you couldn’t have planned for.
The key is to show up, keep going, and let it build.
Have you considered writing a newsletter? And if you haven't taken the plunge, what's held you back? Hit reply and let me know.
Speak soon,
Dupé
PS: If this resonates with you, feel free to enquire about working together: Get guidance on how to be more visible and grow your brand. Whether you need 1:1 coaching or ready-to-post content, hit reply and let’s chat!
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