proverbs
- Most popular: My Obsidian Daily Note Template - this is consistently my most-viewed article. It was my first article of the year, and is a technical deep dive into how I set up my daily notes in my note-taking app. I still get an email roughly monthly from someone asking me further questions about how I set things up in Obsidian. Actually, as I was writing this, someone reached out from the article and asked me if I have implemented “heat map habit tracking” in Obsidian (I have not). This article had 243 views in the last 90 days. For reference, the next most viewed article over that span had 17 views.
- Most words: My Obsidian Daily Note Template - ~3500 words. The runner-up is my recent post on Aqua Notes at ~1800 words.
- Least words: This Started With A Title - 23 words
- Personal Favorite: Street Corner - Although my technical explainer posts seem to get more views, I love writing personal reflections. This one felt really raw. I remember experiencing the moment I describe in the article, and then feeling later that day like I just had to write about it.
- Average time spent writing each article: No idea. I don’t track this. But it’s pretty short I think. Maybe an hour or two? I don’t usually spend multiple days with a lot of editing and researching and refining. I write it and send it.
2024 Blog in Review
My first full year of blogging is in the books! Or should I say, in the internet archive? Check out this neat sitemap graph of my blog generated by the internet archive.
I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for over a year!
One thing that has become clear is I write more like a geyser than a waterfall. I spend most of my time dormant, and then have a sudden flurry of activity before going quiet again. In the new year I would like to move a little more toward the waterfall model: steady, consistent, and reliable. But, I also would like to have more grace for my geyser-like tendencies. The geyser is beautiful in its own way.
Articles
This year I wrote 34 articles. Well, 35 if you include this one.
My unspoken goal before the year was one article a week, but I’m happy with where I landed. I liked not feeling pressured and being able to write when inspiration struck. That said, I’ve been toying with the idea of committing to writing something on a weekly cadence. I’ve thought about starting a separate newsletter, but that’s more than I want to take on right now. Instead, I’m thinking about doing a weekly review post on this blog instead. That will force me to reflect on my life more regularly, and will keep my 8 email subscribers up-to-date with my weekly happenings.
Here are some stats on those 34 articles:
Microblogs
I also posted 132 microblogs this year. A large chunk of those were in January, because I went through the book of Proverbs and did a post for each one trying to summarize the most salient points in my own words. This was my way of “starting my year with wisdom” and was also meant to get me into the habit of regularly posting to my blog, no matter how uncomfortable it felt at the time.
Traffic
I didn’t start tracking analytics until later in the year, but since September 432 people have visited my blog.
About 62 of those users came back to my site at least once, and on average people spend 1 minute and 9 seconds on the blog.
The blog was a global sensation (hyperbole) with visitors from every continent other than Antarctica (shout out to the one visitor from Egypt representing all of Africa).
People came to my blog from various corners of the interwebs. Direct traffic, LinkedIn, Google, Reddit, and my newsletter service were all big drivers.
Most people visiting my blog were probably using Chrome on a Windows machine.
So, what is my takeaway from all of these analytics? Not much. It’s fun to look at during the end of the year, but there’s nothing actionable for me here. I’m not trying to supercharge my blog’s growth. I just want to write meaningful and helpful words.
Design
I made various changes to the look and feel of my blog throughout the year. You can see all the changes I made since June 10, 2024 in my changelog. It looks very different from where it originally started, which I shared screenshots of in Tear it All Down.
I’m following the KISS design principle: “Keep It Simple Stupid”.
What will 2025 hold?
Your guess is as good as mine. Will I become an author? Will I abandon my blog and run off with my pen and analog journal? Will artificial intelligence and quantum computing and brain chip implants converge to make the written word irrelevant as we all mind meld and communicate wordlessly and instantly? All possibilities.
As far as my blog goes, 2025 will be similar to 2024. I want to write more, and I’m sure I’ll make design tweaks to my blog here and there. But otherwise I’ll continue to write things that I think are meaningful and/or helpful.
As far as my life goes, it looks like change is a brewin'. I’m looking forward to the new year and all that it has to offer. Some things are scary, some are exciting, all will make for good writing material.
I can’t wait to share my perspective in the new year with you. Thanks for sticking around through my self-indulgent “blog in review” post.
I wish you a happy new year and hope your year is filled with love, given and received.
Proverbs 31/31 Advice to King Lemuel from his mother: Don’t spend your time pursuing women; this has brought down many kings. Kings should not get drunk so they do not tear down what they created while sober. Speak for those who do not have a voice. Judge justly and defend the rights of the poor. A wonderful spouse is rare. They can be trusted and have a good work ethic. Always they provide for their family and plan for their future. They are confident and strong. They help the poor and are not afraid of hard times for which they have prepared. From their mouth flows wisdom and kindness. They are praised by their children and their spouses. Charm and beauty are fleeting, but a spouse who reveres God is praiseworthy. They will get back more than they have put in.
Proverbs 30/31 God’s word is true; don’t add to it. Stay away from lying and fakeness. Don’t become rich and forget who God is. Don’t become poor and steal, disrespecting God. Some think themselves clean while covered in filth. Greed is never content; give, and it wants more. If you mock your father, mother, and all authority, there will be consequences. Being suddenly put in a situation for which one is deeply unqualified will lead to disaster. Even small things can be wise; ants, groundhogs, locusts, lizards. The beloved leader walks with the confidence of the lion. If you have been foolish or planning to do evil, restrain yourself. Pressing anger produces strife.
Proverbs 29/31 Those that are stiff and inflexible will be broken. With justice, a nation is built, but greed tears one down. The good understand the rights of the poor. A fool indulges every passion of their spirit, but one with wisdom quietly holds themself back. The proud will be brought low, and the humble will be raised in honor. Fear is a cage, but one who trusts God is free. We look to judges for justice, but it can only truly be given by God. Good and evil appear as an abomination to one another.
Proverbs 28/31 The evil live constantly in fear, but the good live confidently. It is better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked. Be generous to the poor. A rich one thinks themself wise, but is bested by a poor one with understanding. There is glory when good prevails, but people hide when evil rises. One that hides their sins will not prosper, but one that owns up to them and turns away will receive mercy. An unwise leader oppresses cruelly, but one who hates unjust gain will prolong their time. The faithful one abounds with blessings, but one who cheats for their own gain will be punished. Whoever puts their faith in their mind is a fool, but those that walk in wisdom will do well.
Proverbs 27/31 Don’t brag about your future, it is not guaranteed. Praise from one’s own mouth is not valid; let it come from another. Be cautious of anger and jealousy; it is difficult to stand against them. True love includes rebuke when needed. An enemy can feign love with kind words. Everything tastes good to one who is hungry. The goodness of a friend comes from their authentic advice. A close neighbor is better than a far brother. When and where you act is just as important as how. Friends sharpen each other like iron on iron. As gold is refined in the furnace, one is tested by their praise. Pay attention to what you have; your possessions do not watch themselves and will not last on their own.
Proverbs 26/31 Honor does not fit a fool. Don’t answer a fool in their style, but correct their mistakes. A proverb coming from a fool is useless. Fools return to their ways like dogs to their vomit. There is more hope for a fool than one who thinks themselves wise. Do not meddle in other people’s fights. Fire dies without wood, and strife dies without a gossiper. One who displays hate hides deceit in their heart; do not trust them when they aim kind words your way. Those who lay traps will fall into them.
Proverbs 25/31 God, knowing all, conceals. We, knowing little, seek truth. Don’t force yourself into high places, it is better to be invited from a lowly place than to be put down in a high place. Don’t share other’s secrets. Patient and persuasive words may change the course of nations. Take even good things in moderation. Don’t be overly joyful in the presence of those with a heavy heart. Provide for your enemy, this is a greater victory than battle. Like a clogged sprinkler is a good one who allows evil. One without self-control is like a house that has been broken into and left open.
Proverbs 24/31 With wisdom comes strength, wars are won with wise guidance. The mocker is an abomination. Your strength is small if it fails in times of adversity. Rescue those going astray. Wisdom is like a sweet honey to the soul. The righteous fall over and over but rise each time. Don’t be glad when your enemy falls. Don’t envy the evil, they have no future. Don’t appease evil, rebuke it.
Proverbs 23/31 Don’t desire luxuries. Be cautious when a stingy person offers gifts to you. Don’t let your words be wasted on fools. Don’t take what isn’t yours. Don’t stop a child from being disciplined, it will not kill them. On the contrary, it will save them from death. Don’t envy sinners, go on in reverence and trust there is a future. Don’t befriend drunks or gluttons, they will come to ruin and take you with them. Buy truth and don’t sell it for anything. Stay away from a flirt, they increase the traitors among mankind. Don’t let yourself love drunkenness, it will lead to many sorrows and is a vicious cycle.
Proverbs 22/31 Good name > great riches. Train a child well and they will stay true into old age. The borrower serves the lender. Get rid of a mocker, and discord stops. Children tend towards folly, but discipline leads to knowledge. Whoever oppresses the poor will in the end come to poverty. Don’t befriend wrathful people. Don’t borrow more than you can afford to borrow. One skillful in their work stands before kings.
Proverbs 21/31 Patient work leads to abundance, and hastiness leads to poverty. Gains from lying are fleeting and catch you in a snare. Justice is joy to the righteous and terror to the evil. One who loves pleasure and luxury will be poor. The wise preserve their treasures, but fools devour theirs. Pursue righteousness, and you will find it, along with life and honor. Control your speech to stay out of trouble. The wicked act boldly, but the upright openly consider their ways.
Proverbs 20/31 Do not be led astray by drunkenness. It is honorable to keep from quarreling. Many proclaim steadfast love, but it is difficult to find one truly faithful. Who can confidently say their heart is pure? Even a child is known by their acts, evil or good. Plans come to fruition when advice is sought. Do not take revenge on evil, leave it to God. Reflect before you give your word. The young prize their strength and beauty, the old prize their wisdom.
Proverbs 19/31 Desire without knowledge is bad. A generous person finds many friends. Glory for one who can forgive offenses against them. Idleness puts you to sleep and you grow hungry. Listen to advice. One who reveres God rests satisfied.
Proverbs 18/31 Fools take pleasure in expressing only their own opinions. Humility comes before honor. It is shameful to give an answer before one hears. Giving gifts will bring you into the presence of the great. The one who states their case first seems right, until examined by another. Words have the power of death and life. Better to have one friend who sticks close than many friends.
Proverbs 17/31 (Poor + peace) > (rich + strife). Judging the poor insults your creator. Be careful offering bribes, lest you come to depend on them. It is loving to forgive, you will lose friends if you rehash old wounds. A reprimand to the wise penetrates further than a beating to a fool. Friends love through highs and lows. Joy is good medicine, but a crushed spirit is crippling. Those with a calm spirit have understanding.
Proverbs 16/31 Every person thinks themselves right, but God weighs the spirit. Commit your work to God and it will be established. Everything is for a purpose, even the wicked. One turns from evil through reverence to God. When a man follows the ways of God, he is at peace even with his enemies. People plan, God establishes. You will discover good things if you ponder the word. Gracious words are sweet to the soul. One’s appetite urges them on. A whisperer separates close friends. One who rules their own spirit is better than one who rules a city.
Proverbs 15/31 A gentle response cools anger, but a harsh response stirs it up. If God knows the depths of hell, how much more does he know the depths of your heart? The cheerful heart has a continuous feast. (Poor + God) > (Rich + Trouble). (Lettuce + Love) > (Filet Mignon + Hatred). The path is easy for the upright, but for the idle, it is like walking through thorns. Plans fail without counsel, but with many advisors, they succeed. The Lord destroys the house of the arrogant but protects the house of the humble. He who hates bribes will live. The heart of the righteous ponders, but the mouth of the wicked pours out. Reverence for God is instruction in wisdom. Humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 14/31 The upright reveres the Lord, the evil despises him. Things are easy without work, but there will be nothing to harvest. A cynic seeks wisdom in vain, but it comes easy for one of understanding. Run from fools. Fools mock those who seek forgiveness, but the upright find it. No one knows your heart like you. Life is both joy and grief, together. The wise are cautious, but fools are reckless. Blessed are those generous to the poor. A ruler is only as good as their people. Be slow to anger. Envy will rot your core.
Proverbs 13/31 The one who watches their words saves their life, but the one who speaks without thinking will be ruined. The poor one is not threatened by ransoms for their life. Insolent = strife, receptive = wisdom. Quick riches dwindle, gather little by little to increase. Prudent ones act with knowledge, but fools flaunt their folly. If disaster pursues you, consider living righteously. One who walks with the wise becomes wise, but a friend of fools hurts themselves. To discipline is to love. The righteous are satisfied, the wicked want.