Turning Four

24 Letters launched on this day four years ago.

The creation of this site was in part from my leaving work, albeit temporarily and on leave at first, to become a stay-at-home dad for our second child. I didn’t know then what I know now - that I would dedicate myself to being a full-time dad for several years, and in the process also find myself becoming a writer.

2025 was a year of transition, and the quietest year on this site. It was a year where much of my focus was on becoming a leader at work. I actually started in November of ’24, but as with most jobs, things really ramped up once I was fully onboarded and in my role at the beginning of 2025. I also spent a lot of time trying to balance my roles as a father, husband, and professional. I remained a writer, but time and priorities didn’t allow me to dig as deeply there as I would have liked.

Still, I joined my friends Tom and Jeff at Basic AF three times, where we discussed Apple TV+, did a same-day WWDC 2025 recap, and ended the year by sharing a few of our favorite things.

In May, I joined David Sparks and Mike Schmitz on Focused, where we discussed all things journaling, including my quarterly review process built in Day One.

Also in May, I launched The Journaling Challenge, 10 days of simple and evocative prompts delivered via email to subscribers. I’ve gotten positive feedback about this, all of which I appreciate.

I continued growing on Threads, making new friends and connections on my primary social media platform.

The last four months of the year were difficult. September was exceedingly busy professionally, and in early October, I broke a bone in my foot, requiring three months of living with a cast and adapting that to a life that really didn’t allow me to slow down. Just a few weeks after my injury, I said goodbye to my mother, who died after a brief illness. I am grateful to my family, particularly my wife, and friends for supporting me through these challenging times.

During this time, I returned to the quote that inspired the name of this site, from Stoic philosopher Athenodorus Cananities:

Whenever you feel yourself getting angry, Caesar, don't say or do anything until you've repeated the 24 letters of the alphabet to yourself.

I took this further in 2025. Beyond managing anger and frustration, I took these timeless words to heart for quiet moments to manage fear, sadness, and grief.

There’s much that I want to accomplish in 2026, and I’m thankful that you’ll be here with me.