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A Year in Review
2024, this newsletter, and where we go from here

Hey friends, and happy Tuesday! As we head into the end of the year, this newsletter’s schedule is probably become a little irregular (it already has, if you haven’t noticed!). I have a couple of pieces I’ve been working on, but I’ve had to rewrite them a ton as new information and context has come out. I’m going to be traveling for the next few weeks so expect some updates there as well. I have a lot coming in the new year, and I’m stoked to share more with you after I get back!
BearlyThinking in 2024
Last year, I did a fun little analysis of all of the writing and growth I had done in 2023. This year, Beehiiv (the publishing platform I use) did all of the hard work for me!
I think this stuff is super interesting, and hopefully you find it interesting too!
This year, I wrote almost 51,000 words

It’s possible that I actually could break 51,000 with this edition. I would have to probably pad my word count a little bit though. Just a smidge. Perhaps. Cabbage.
A lot of you are new!

This newsletter started out as just a way to get my thoughts down in text, and maybe to share with some family and friends. Now, the majority of you are absolute strangers! By the way, hi, I’m Jared. But you can call me Bear.
But let’s talk about the real question you probably have: how lucrative is this whole gig? Newsletters rake in the big bucks, right? How much did you make, Bear?
I made eight bucks

Now, this newsletter isn’t about making money. Never has been, and never will be (unless the bag is big enough—looking at you, HelloFresh!). If anything, I think this is just a funny example of how there’s really no creator middle class. It’s boom or bust out here!
It’s always weird talking about money in creative spaces—how do you do so without it sounding like you’re driven by dreams of riches? Really, I think the takeaway here is that it doesn’t matter how much you make. It doesn’t matter how huge your audience is. What matters is that you just start creating. Maybe the money comes, maybe it doesn’t. But at the very least, at the end of the day you can sleep knowing you made something you like. That’s what’s important.
Me in 2024
Tim Alberta is one of my favorite writers on the internet. So many of his articles have changed my perspective on life. But at the top of the list is his calendar of your life in weeks. Here’s what mine looks like:

I’m a third dead. At least.
That thought makes me reflect quite a bit.
I’m at least another percent through my life this year. What did I do with it?
It depends on the metric you use.
Money? Zilch. If anything, the housing market and inflation mean I’m poorer now than I was 365.25 days ago.
Health? I’m still fat, bald, and easily winded. Not much progress there!
Politics? Just about every single candidate or initiative I supported lost. Nope.
Faith? My church closed in July, and I haven’t been to a service since. By metrics most churches use, I’m less “religious” than I was a year ago. But my faith has never been stronger. If you don’t believe in a higher power, it’s hard to explain this feeling. But I feel like I’ve grown away from Christianity and toward Christ over the last year. I might write some more on this, so let me know if you’re interested.
Relationships? I’m not going to lie, I could do better here. But I feel so much closer to my wife this year. Navigating the election, our hopes and fears around it, discussions of children, finances, and so much more, we’ve had some serious conversations that make me love and appreciate her so much more than I thought possible. It always sounds cliché when married couples say things like “I love him/her more and more each day",” but it’s true.
Creativity? I’ve never felt more creatively fulfilled. Don’t get me wrong—in every endeavor, there are days when you just don’t feel like doing the thing. But my butt-in-chair time is up. I’ve written more words than I ever have in a year (I was a bit of a slacker in college, if I’m being honest). I’ve written and recorded more music than I ever thought I would (maybe next year it’ll be good enough to share!).
Why does any of this matter?
Simply put, it probably doesn’t to most of you. But it does to me.
This “rewind” and the process of writing this analysis out has honestly been a wonderful reminder of why I write this newsletter, or why I do most of the things I do in life.
And as you can tell, it sure as hell ain’t for the money.
What’s next?
I have a lot planned for 2025. I’ll get into more detail in the near future, but a short list of what to expect includes:
One extra free post every week
A new publishing schedule
More benefits for paid subscribers
Monthly book reviews
And quite a bit more!
There’s a lot to come. I feel like 2025 is going to be the best year yet for BearlyThinking. And I can’t wait to tell you more.
In the meantime, thank you for the attention you’ve given to this newsletter. Your time isn’t free, and you taking time out of your day to read these articles means the world to me. Even though I write mostly for me, knowing that there are people see value in the words I write gives me the boost I need some days.
And as much as I love my words, I don’t think there are any that can describe how wonderful the feeling of someone supporting your creative work is.
So thank you.
Here’s to a 2025 to remember.
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