I have too many ideas

How to cut through the noise

Hi friends,

I’ve been feeling inspired lately. Maybe a little bit too inspired.

I’m coming up with ideas left and right - learning from different sources and scoping out new impactful projects. My desire to take action is extra intense these days - so many new notes added to my Notes app. So many trends I want to hop on and so many cool things I want to create.

I’m not sure what exactly prompted this, but this is not a bad position to be in. I used to get frustrated because I couldn’t think of any new ideas.

However, I’m now faced with a new set of challenges. Even with all these ideas, I still feel aimless and cannot find a way to action on any of my ideas. There is too much noise, too many desires, and too little time. I haven’t been able to cut through that noise, prioritise and act.

Considering I'm on a roll with coming up with new business ideas, I thought I'd use this momentum to brainstorm strategies to identify which ideas should be prioritised.

Thanks Supermeme.ai for helping me generate this meme!

1) Less in my head, more in my heart

As many people do, I make decisions “using my head”. Thinking up reasons and arguments to back up each idea. Sometimes collecting data as well. But in this case, there are always several reasons I can use to justify actioning on the idea:

“It will be easy to start”

“It’s a proven way to build an audience”

“It will be a huge trend in the future”

So maybe the answer can only be found by paying more attention to my “heart”.

If all the ideas can be done with reasonably high levels of success, then it comes down to what I want commit to and what I would like to consistently work towards. To determine that, I need to take time to zoom out, tune down everything and listen to my own desires.

“Which project/idea excites me most?”

“Which one am I willing to commit to for X months/years?”

I think journalling will help with this. I just got a notebook (Leuchtturm 1917 one - I have to say the paper is top quality) for my birthday so I’m using it to flesh out my ideas.

As an adjacent point, I want to give myself the space and time to be pulled in **my ideas that excite me, rather by ideas that sound like a “smart” idea.

I came across this quote from this essay written by Evan Armstrong, In Defense of the Unoptimized Life that resonated with me.

My success has also happened because I’ve given myself space. I ignore all the extra things I’m “supposed to do” that I mentioned above so I can pursue something called “afflatus.” Afflatus is a Latin word that refers to a sudden rush or inspiration, seemingly from the divine or supernatural. Moments of afflatus are euphoric and intoxicating. When they occur and I create output, I always end up happier.

It might not be efficient or “optimised”, but following moments of afflatus may be the path I need right now to decide what to pursue.

2) Stop consuming content after a certain period of time

There are so many phenomenal resources out there and I’m so grateful for that. But I often find myself going down rabbit holes then feeling overwhelmed by the external voices convincing me to go in various directions.

My rabbit holes often go something like this: I go from watching a YouTube video about how to use AI software, to a podcast on how to optimise your sleep, to a TV show about baking and then to a blog about geopolitical issues.

I’m going to try limiting my educational content consumption by stopping once I notice myself slipping slowly into a rabbit hole and use the time to consolidate the notes I’ve written on the topics.

3) Trust that if I don’t act now, my ideas won’t disappear

Over the past year, I worked hard to build up my “Capture habit”. This is a habit I formed after learning it from Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte

Don’t play “catch and release” with your thoughts. Your ideas have value, but tend to arrive when you least expect them. By making it a habit to “capture” and save them, you can allow them to live forever in a trusted system that reflects your goals and interests. This also leaves your mind free and clear to come up with even more ideas.

I capture my ideas or thoughts on paper, on my Notes app, on Notion or sometimes even on voice memos. Because of this habit, I haven’t let any idea go to waste. My messy yet useful set of notes can be refined and turned into fully formed ideas/projects - once I’m more in tuned with what I truly want to create. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend creating your own treasure trove of ideas - it can truly become your superpower.

Thanks for reading through my little brainstorm. I will take these on and let you know how I get on.

This week’s collection

💪🏻TV Show: Physical: 100

I was quite skeptical about the show at first and dismissed it as a “showing off” contest. After watching the first two episodes and hearing good things from friends, I was pleasantly surprised by how exciting and entertaining it was to see different types of people flexing their physicality.

☀️Book: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My first book of this year was this light read. I really enjoyed the exploration of the themes: family, fame, renewal and destruction. Reid jumped seamlessly between different POVs and time periods which was very impressive. I related to the eldest sister Nina the most. If anyone has read other Taylor Jenkins Reid books, please let me know which one I should read next.

🀄Activity: Mahjong

My favourite lunar new year activity was playing Mahjong with my family and relatives. It is a very addictive game and a great opportunity to connect with older relatives (and earn a little money AHAHA)

👪Article: Does My Son Know You?

I read this heartbreaking and tear jerking piece recommended by Sahil Bloom through his newsletter The Curiosity Chronicle. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Jonathan Tjarks writes about being a relatively new father. A powerful reminder to cherish time you have with the people you love and care about.

In case you missed it: In last week’s newsletter, I wrote about my thoughts on generative AI and ChatGPT.

A question for you!

How can I have the most fun possible while going through my to-do list today?

Always open to learning more and hearing from you 😊

Thanks for reading!

Stay inspired,

Viv