3 useful things every Thursday to help thinkers of all kinds gain clarity, get unstuck, and make great progress on what matters most.
Dare you to 100 wants
Published 2 days ago • 2 min read
Hold That Thought…
Terry the rescue pug, wondering, "Should I treat myself?" Photo by author.
This week I've been thinking about what I want, what you want, and what the world wants.
Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking:
Three years ago I dared myself to come up with a list of 100 wants. It was a game-changer, but what I did next mattered even more. This morning, I revisited my 100 wants list
“I believe that taste is the fundamental unit of self-trust. When you know what you like and what you are pulled to, you begin to get a clearer image of yourself; and you start to show up more clearly, more honestly to the world.” — Substack writer Isabel on knowing what you truly want
“Wanting less should feel like an escape, but instead, it just feels like another trap. Like trying to curate some “Design Within Reach” minimalist hellscape. Every time I try to simplify, I find myself spiraling about whether I’m doing it the “right” way. Will this candle bring me peace? Does this West Elm chair make my space feel intentional? Am I overthinking a lamp?” — The Problem With Wanting Less, by Substack writer What Ever Happened
This week's underthinking link is ripples. Special thanks to Robyn Roscoe for this great find!
Extra thoughts…
We humans have an ongoing need to keep people around us, to put things in perspective, at the very least. My dear friend Cassie did this for me earlier this week, when she shared this gem (we were talking about profiles and the increasing pressure to self-identify across a zillion dimensions):
“Someone who is hyper self-aware of every facet of their personality? I don’t know, it’s super annoying to me.”
She's so right. So my offer to you (as much as it is to myself), is to hold all of this lightly. There's a sweet spot between moving through the world blithely unaware and obsessively navel gazing.
May you find it, Kim
Gentoo penguins are known for giving small gifts of smooth pebbles to show their appreciation for those they build nests with. It's called “pebbling”. Among humans, this can often look like forwarding emails (such as this one!), offering kind words, or leaving tips.
If you have been enjoying Hold That Thought and would like to share a pebble of appreciation, you can do so here:
Hello! My name is Kim Witten and I’ve spent four decades overthinking absolutely everything. I’ve turned this ability into a super skill to get stuff done and now my mission is to help others do the same. Read more about my journey
