Helping overwhelmed creatives and small business owners turn overthinking into expert thinking…and action! 3 useful things every Thursday to gain clarity, get more done, and feel great about it.
We're overthinking animals
Every Thursday I share three useful things to help you turn overthinking into expert thinking. As just about everyone I know seems to be on a break or in need of one, this week’s picks are slightly more buoyant: 1.
“Participants did not just disagree about penguins. The researchers found different concepts existed for every word they used, with people disagreeing on important matters such as whether seals are graceful.” — Simon Makin, Scientific American People have a surprising lack of shared understanding of basic concepts, such as what a penguin is. This can lead to all manner of disagreement and debate, well beyond categorizing animals. Fortunately, the study authors also offer the idea that we can overcome these differences simply by becoming more aware of them. Asking, “What do you mean?” can go a long way toward bridging the understanding gap. 2.
“It’s one thing to create. The other is you have to choose. 'What are we going to do, and what are we not going to do?’ This is a gigantic aspect of show-business survival. It’s kind of unseen, what’s picked and what is discarded, but mastering that is how you stay alive.” — Jerry Seinfeld 3.Next time you're replaying that conversation from 20 years ago, know that you probably don't overthink things as much as actor/comedian Connor Ratliff does. He turned his rumination into a 31-episode podcast to solve a very stupid mystery that has haunted him for two decades: why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series, Band Of Brothers. It's delightful, goes in unexpected places, and features many celebrity guests joining the overthinking party with their own tales of mental woe. A great audio companion for your travels, you are not alone with Dead Eyes Extra thoughts…That Seinfeld quote is about surviving show-business, but it applies to so many things. We all have unseen choices. In the pursuit of mastery, how might we start noticing those decision points more? Speaking of Seinfeld (a show about nothing) and Dead Eyes (a podcast about one specific thing), I'd love to hear about more examples of overthinking in media. What movies, memes, and more come to mind? Lastly, as you make your way through August, I hope you give yourself a break. Received this from someone else? Join the expert thinkers who are getting clear about what they’re doing and feeling great about it Visit the newsletter archive for all the worksheets and other free tools Kim Witten, PhD - Coach & ConsultantHello! 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 |
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Hold That Thought
Helping overwhelmed creatives and small business owners turn overthinking into expert thinking…and action! 3 useful things every Thursday to gain clarity, get more done, and feel great about it.