Hi!

Welcome to our first edition of Snail Mail, Slow Growth’s brand new newsletter! 🎉🐌

We’re thrilled you’re here. Our goal with this newsletter is to make it an impactful resource for self-development aficionados. To recap, every Monday we send out original articles, a curated list of high-quality resources, and introduce you to up-and-coming creators. It’s juicy stuff. 

As Ben Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” (or maybe that was Michael Scott, who knows). But this philosophy is the why behind this newsletter.

We’re here to push you into intellectual rabbit holes that fuel your curiosity, maintain your motivation levels, and inspire you to commit to continuous growth.

But since self-development is a long-term commitment, it can get...tricky. We’re quick to get discouraged if we fall off the bandwagon or easily demotivated when assessing the longevity of the process.

It’s why we wanted to start things off by introducing this particular comment left on one of Matt D’Avella’s (Slow Growth’s Chief Nerd) recent Youtube videos:

Doxo’s right. No matter where you are in your journey, what matters most is you:

1. Showed up to the racetrack

2. Kept going even after slowing down

So, let’s reshape the way we think about success. It’s not a finish line to cross: it’s an ongoing journey. True personal growth is about patience and persistence, and knowing it’s the small steps that’ll lead to meaningful results.

It’s one hell of a marathon. Think of us here at Snail Mail as your personal cheerleaders. We’re here to help you tighten your running shoes, give you a pat on the back, and fuel you with energy.

So you can keep on goin’ on.

Believe in Capitalism? Then Don’t Work on Weekends

Article | by Bloomberg

The best thing young people can do in their careers is to work on the weekends.

If reading that made you wince, join the club. Jordan Kong, Principal at Atomic, tweeted out the unpopular opinion, citing 20-somethings should make up for their lack of experience with their high energy levels.

We find ourselves in a tricky position here, because when it comes to success, mainstream culture drills into our brains it’s attained by either one of two methods:

1. You must find a shortcut. You know, the whole “ten hacks to get a six-pack in two weeks” or “multiply your income overnight” schpiel. **Spoiler alert: this is impossible.**

2. You have to work hard. Like, gruelingly hard. We’re talking overnights, 80-hour workweeks, including weekends. This is where Kong’s opinion stems from. Possible, but not fun nor a guarantee.

Bloomberg’s article provides a compelling case for why putting in more hours doesn’t equate to more success. And thank goodness for that, because otherwise the game of life would be won by whoever works the longest. Which sounds exhausting.

This leaves us pondering: How does one achieve success?

Don’t be fooled: to get far in life you’ll need to work for it. But working hard ≠ overworking. Cultivate patience, take care of yourself, and find joy in the journey.

It’s about embracing the slow burn, not barrelling towards burnout.

Read this post →

Creativity Faucet

Article | by Julian Shapiro

You’re not creatively stumped. You’re just impatient.

At least, that’s what Julian Shapiro tells us. In this article, he reveals a mental model used by Ed Sheeran and Neil Gaiman to generate new ideas.

Picture your creativity as a backed-up pipe of water. Once you turn the faucet on, you’re going to be greeted with sludge. Bad ideas, cringe takes, awkward proposals. The whole shebang.

Most people walk away at this point, revolted by their creative faux-pas. However, it’s those who keep the faucet on and ignore the sludge who are greeted with clear, brilliant waters.

Your brain is merely a pipeline for entering a creative flow state. Accept the fact you’ll need to clear the wastewater first, and watch the good ideas gush out. 🚰

Read this post →

Hide Your Work

Article | by David Perell

This Snail Mail newsletter is exactly 1,056 words.

It’s about a four-minute read. Probably closer to one, because let’s be real, you skim.

How long could it have taken to write this? Like what, tops 40 minutes? Well, we calculated, and it’s, um...like six times as long as that. 💀

In David Perell’s short article, “Hide Your Work,” Perell discusses how your work is done only when it’s so simple the consumer thinks they could’ve whipped it up. Which means you probably wouldn’t have guessed how long it takes us to write Snail Mail.

David’s article is a reminder that behind the elegance of every article, math equation, comedic performance, or Youtube video is a gargantuan amount of effort. There’s an entire (ugly, chaotic, messy) process behind it.

Don’t feel discouraged next time someone makes it look easy - trust us, it definitely wasn’t.

Read this post →

Rachel How

This weeks’ creator is Rachel How. She’s a self-taught product designer, Webflow developer, and Youtuber from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Why do you create? Who is your content for?

I will die someday, but my content lives forever. I share my ideas, inspire and help aspiring designers around the world. I believe design education should be accessible to everyone!

The biggest lesson you’ve learned since you began creating content?

Focus on giving value to your specific audience. Be authentic, the world needs real content. Spend 30%-50% of the time improving the quality of your videos/designs AND marketing your content.

One thing you wish you knew before you got started?

I wish I knew that my tiny voice could make a difference to someone, somewhere—Whether it’s inspiring them to take action, to learn something new, or to become better at their craft.

One piece of advice you’d give to aspiring creators and self-development nerds?

Create content that’s worthwhile of your audience’s attention. Content is everywhere, what makes yours different?

Would you rather be able to Copy/Paste in real life, or Undo?

I’d Undo. We only get one shot in life. Time is our most valuable commodity—If we could undo the things we’ve done or the words we’ve said, we could at least have another shot.

Check out Rachels YouTube channel →

Written by Alice Lemée

Edited by Matt D'Avella & Stephen Wise