Hold That Thought
3 useful things every Thursday to help thinkers of all kinds gain clarity, get unstuck, and make great progress on what matters most.
Deeper than the dazzle
Hold That Thought Anatomy of a magic trick, from The Prestige This week I've been thinking about the uncomfortable process of growth. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: In his post on the hidden cost of comfort, Sahil Bloom asks: What growth are you starving with the struggle you’re avoiding? Everyone seems to be turning to AI coaches to help them think through challenges. In some ways, it works. But AI falls short in a few others, one of which...
Progress on a goal-less year
Hold That Thought Shrödinger's Goal. Photo by choness from Getty Images Pro. This week I've been thinking about what it means to not have goals. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: Progress on my goal-less year, six months in What are goals, really? Here's Tiago Forte's take on it…what's more important than the goal? Without goals, what's left? Tim Urban gives us a sobering but poignant reminder of what all of this is all really about. After all,...
AI, ankle breaker and crutch
Hold That Thought… Said to me by a medical professional before I demanded an X-ray. April 28, 2012. Reader, I knew. This week I've been thinking about Al as “the cause of — and solution to — all of life's little problems”. That quote was from Homer Simpson. He was talking about beer, but nevermind. Here are three four things on AI to turn mental energy into meaningful action: Many of us use AI to help us get started with writing. But I wonder, what if we tossed the crutch and got good at...
When 70% > 100%
Hold That Thought Ant on a climber plant. Photo by SuriyaKK from Getty Images. This week I've been thinking about perfectionism (and its circle of disruptive companions). Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: An “ant mill” is when a group of army ants lose their scent trail, get separated from their main colony, and begin to follow each other in a never-ending loop until they die of exhaustion. It's a horrifically apt metaphor for the thinking loops...
Those pesky, invisible details
Hold That Thought Photo by Alexander Lloyd from Getty Images. This week I've been thinking about the details. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: “If you’re trying to do impossible things, this effect should chill you to your bones. It means you could be intellectually stuck right at this very moment, with the evidence right in front of your face and you just can’t see it.” — Fortunately, the solution is simple On the surface, it looked like I was...
Flywheels and focus
Hold That Thought A potter's wheel is a type of flywheel. Photo by hillaryfox from Getty Images Signature. This week I've been thinking about how to stay steady during turbulence. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: The purpose of a flywheel isn’t to make things go faster. It’s to make progress smoother, easier, and more sustainable — how I create consistently when my headspace feels like ever-changing weather. “part of the essential skill is...
It's way-finding, not way-knowing
Hold That Thought Cave lights by Karoline Schneider from Getty Images. “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek” — Joseph Campbell This week I've been thinking about sitting with moving forward with uncertainty. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: “When the stars disappeared behind clouds, they didn’t panic. They didn’t wait for a full celestial PowerPoint presentation. They tuned inward.” — Clarity Isn’t Certainty; It’s Movement...
What you have that the billionaires don't
Hold That Thought… My local Co-Op, week 3 after the DragonForce cyber attack. This week I've been thinking about money and other forms of value. Here are (more than) three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: Your other kinds of capital: on the real currencies that matter when the world falls apart. Related: bought vs. earned status by Sahil Bloom For nearly five years, I struggled with pricing in my coaching and consulting business — navigating difficult...
What Matthew Modine taught me about art and suffering
Hold That Thought… Real conditions. Photo by FSTOPLIGHT from Getty Images Signature This week I've been thinking about the real and sometimes insufferable conditions we do our work in. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: In 2010, I bumped into Matthew Modine on the street and he said something that has taken me 15 years to unpack. See what sense I'm making of it in Great Work Doesn't Wait For Good Weather “But one need not wait for inspiration and...
Real feedback
Hold That Thought… Negative Feedback by Nazan Akpolat from Getty Images. This week I've been thinking about feelings, feedback, and expectations. Here are three things on that theme to turn mental energy into meaningful action: Feelings aren’t fires to be put out, but feedback to be factored in A question to ask yourself for setting realistic expectations The harsh truth about what feedback is and what it isn't This week's underthinking link tests how well you can cut bread Extra thoughts…...
3 useful things every Thursday to help thinkers of all kinds gain clarity, get unstuck, and make great progress on what matters most.