I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift than my 10,000th subscriber.

3 years ago, when I started a Wordpress blog about the tradition and practice of self-education, I had absolutely no idea where it would lead me.

I thought that, at the very least, writing about self-study would hold me accountable to continue growing in this area, while also serving as a creative outlet.

I had no idea that my content would resonate with so many wonderful people—what a pleasant surprise it has been to discover the surplus of curious minds, all striving to lead a more intellectual life outside of school!

I want to say a special thank you to all the autodidacts who have taken out a paid subscription for Knowledge Lust.

Because of you, making a living writing about autodidactism (such a niche subject!) is seeming more and more like a potential reality than a strange quixotic dream. Thanks to your support, I can spend more time investing my creative energy in work that, I hope, inspires and teaches a group of people I care about.

2026 is going to be a huge year for Knowledge Lust (I’m locking in).

I’m planning to:

• Write more analyses of the reading lives of great thinkers (a series called Thinkers)

• Share more stories detailing how self-taught geniuses learned their subject, craft, or profession

• Release an ebook on “How to Plan and Direct Your Self-Education” in Jan (working title is The Effective Autodidact).

• Publish more tips and frameworks that’ll help you self-learn new skills and subjects, read deeply, and give yourself a personalized, well-rounded education.

• Share my own experiences in self-education—what I’m learning, new methods I’m using, where I’m failing and succeeding (and why)

Remember: Formal schooling is not a synonym for education.

For many of history’s greatest thinkers, leaders, and creatives, it was only the beginning of a life devoted to serious reading and independent study.

The greats take education into their own hands, rather than relying on someone else to give it to them.

Let 2026 be a year of following your curiosity, acquiring new skills, and making progress on your learning goals.