Making Old Things New

Old you vs. current you.

Along the road of life, you pick up frameworks that are helpful for a time, but then they aren’t helpful anymore.

You pick up beliefs that are helpful for a time, but then they aren’t helpful anymore.

You pick up behaviors that are helpful for a time, but then they aren’t helpful anymore.

You pick up routines that are helpful for a time, but then they aren’t helpful anymore.

Ten years ago, I published a book. Feels like I need to do an anniversary edition for it and add some new lessons.

Eight years ago, I published another book. Feels like it needs a major overhaul and title change. It never sold as well as it should. The people who read it loved it, but it needs improved.

Five years ago, I published another book. Feels like it needs a facelift and extra materials attached. It’s the only one I’m not really proud of because I didn’t put in my best effort. Just threw it together and uploaded it.

Four years ago, I published another book. It sells a lot of copies at this time of year, so I’m not going to touch it… yet.

The trouble with publishing is that a book becomes an artifact and stuck in time. But you keep growing and evolving, improving and changing.

You go back and read something you wrote 10, 8, 5, 4 years ago. Parts of it feel old, stale, crusty, musty. Other parts of it feel really good.

It’s not that you were bad at writing. It’s that you have matured. That was the old you, 10 years ago you.

Current you is in a better state.

It’s time to make some old things new again.

If baggy carpenter jeans and cargo pants can make a comeback, you can too.

Make old things new.