It's my birthday!

Hey team,

I’m 45 today! I feel pretty good about it. I didn’t really have a plan for my life in my 20s (or 30s), but I’ve had lots of adventures, done a tonne of interesting things, and somehow ended up with a lovely family, a great set of friends and a life I really enjoy.

It’s also been almost exactly a year since I started this newsletter, and about two since I started taking YouTube seriously: it’s been a lot of work to do both, but also very rewarding. I’ve heard from a bunch of people who’ve given me interesting ideas, insights, and stuff to read, and quite a few who’ve been nice enough to say that something I’ve made has inspired or helped them. This newsletter is called Just Start because I honestly think that starting stuff is one of the most difficult but important things you can do: if you throw yourself into a project that you really care about, you might be surprised by where it takes you.

So! If you’ve been reading, watching, or commenting, I really appreciate it. You need a lot of followers on social media to make a living out of it, but you don’t need all that many to make it feel worthwhile. Thank you.

If you insist on giving me a present…

• Please share a post you’ve found helpful on here with someone who might like it. It really does help. If you’re looking for inspiration, I think the Rubber Triangle Of Creative Work and this one about The Princess Bride are solid.

• Share your favourite video from the channel with someone who it might help. I think this one is pretty good.

• …or drop me a comment on here with a book, a podcast, a documentary, an article, or something else you think I might like. I’m always looking for this stuff, and if you read this newsletter regularly we’re probably on the same wavelength.

See you on Friday!

Joel x