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.
Spiffy chicken
Hold That Thought… Which chicken is more spiffy? This week I've not rallied around a particular theme*, but I have found three things united by their usefulness in turning overthinking into expert thinking: A list of things that are not doing the thing by Strangest Loop “The persistent are like boats whose engines can't be throttled back. The obstinate are like boats whose rudders can't be turned.” — Paul Graham on The Right Kind of Stubborn The most useful business (and life) coaching advice...
Tilting at time-wasters (and other monsters)
Hold That Thought… Iron Man tilting at windmills. Photo by me taken at Crosby Beach, Liverpool UK. This week I've been thinking about time-wasters and other imaginary monsters. Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: If your personal rogues gallery consists of energy vampires and other tedious adversaries, remember this: nobody can waste your time If you don't respect your own time, nobody else will And one for the real adversaries: a plan for political,...
The antidote to nonsense
Hold That Thought… Bucket photo by emregologlu on Getty Images Pro. This week I've been thinking about keeping it simple. Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: Most psychometric tests are absolute nonsense. So, you're a Blue? An INTP? A Challenger? I say, so what. “No, right now and indeed for all time–the hardest thing in the world is to not be infected by what’s happening around you. To not lose your mind…or your decency…or your sense of what...
Serious, Sincere, or Silly?
Hold That Thought… Quote from Succession, Season 4, Episode 2. Image source: Screenrant.com; modified in Canva Pro. This week I've been thinking about unserious people (and how not to be one). Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: “I used to think of seriousness as something to aspire to, a nice-to-have once you figure everything else out. Something you save up for, like a house. ‘Oh, I’d love to be serious, but in this economy?’” — The three lies that...
Five f-words
Hold That Thought… Fight, Flight, Freeze…and Fawn and Flop. What's that all about? This week I've been thinking about navigating change effectively. Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: FFFFF!!!! We can't always control our responses, but understanding them (and why they happen) is the key to dealing more effectively when things change or stress us out. When there's unwanted change happening, I try to remember this advice from Brené Brown's book The...
One more rep
Hold That Thought… This morning's mental workout was extra tough. This week I've been thinking hard about helping people change careers (and what that means for my own: more speaking in front of others). Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: Another fantastic post by David Spinks on navigating career lostness What if clear thinking is overrated? Here's Paras Chopra on how to be a messy thinker “We're taking all our wonky pots of nerves spinning there...
Dare you to 100 wants
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....
The broken in-between
Hold That Thought… Fixing the spoon rest…by supergluing it to the coffee table. Moment disappointingly captured by Kim. This week I've been thinking about care and repair. Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: “The broken things in our lives are constantly charging interest.” — David at Raptitude has some thoughts on what to do about it American media theorist Douglas Rushkoff on how to become an agent of care when the world feels overwhelmingly broken...
Which corner?
Hold That Thought… Figures by Paramore, Dinamik, and binaria. Arranged in Canva Pro. This week I've been thinking about career change. Here are three things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: Which corner is your career stuck in? What is the PUSH-PULL of your current situation? “Use the tools you’ve acquired to create the impact you want to have.” — and other great bits of career change advice from IMD experts Even if you're not contemplating a career change today,...
Pebbling
Hold That Thought… Gentoo Penguin by MOF from Getty Images Signature This week I've been thinking about friendships — how we create them, maintain them, cherish them, and sometimes even let them go. Here are three four things on that theme to turn overthinking into expert thinking: “Self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century in America.” — From Solitude to Social Fitness, Ep. 101 of the Farewell Podcast with guest Derek Thompson “We are so burned...
3 useful things every Thursday to help thinkers of all kinds gain clarity, get unstuck, and make great progress on what matters most.