Welcome to Verstreuen, meaning “to scatter,” where I unpack this week’s ideas from my 🗃️ Zettelkasten, or “note box,” and attempt to make sense of the chaos. Explore scattered thoughts, unexpected connections, and the stories they create along the way.

This week, I captured 51 notes. Of which, these three ideas, from two books and an Instagram post, stood out as the most interesting to share with you.

• A perspective on your state of mind to free you from your own thoughts.

• A framework for focusing your efforts in life.

• A framework to understand how fear perpetuates itself in your life.

This idea stuck with me as recognizing the constant chatter in your head is not you, but something you can observe provides a freedom from negative self-talk, judgment, or limiting beliefs. This idea reminded me of a quote from the book A Job to Love: “An inner voice is an outer voice that we previously heard, absorbed and made our own.” Both of these ideas encourage self-awareness and empowerment to question the origins of our inner dialogue. This separation creates space to rewrite your mental narrative and actively reduce thoughts that may do more harm than good.

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I was introduced to the Pareto Principle in college and it’s since become a valuable tool for solving problems both at work and in life. It provides a practical framework for identifying where to start when driving change by focusing on the factors that have the greatest impact on results.

While I don’t entirely agree with every example listed above, the principle itself continues to help guide my focus on the aspects that will efficiently achieve the outcomes I desire.

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The fear of failure is something I deal with quite often. However, fear perpetuates itself through inaction, as illustrated by the fear cycle. Staying in my comfort zone might feel safe, but it ultimately holds me back and keeps me trapped in this cycle.

I remember one specific instance when I was asked to design a solution architecture on a system I barely understood with only a few days to prepare. It felt overwhelming, and I considered making excuses to avoid the task altogether. Instead, I chose to focus on the information available, research what I could, and build on my own ideas. While it wasn’t perfect, I learned and proved to myself that I could handle the challenge and develop a competent solution.

Taking intentional action, even when feeling uncertain, is crucial. I’ve learned to accept that failure is part of my growth and an opportunity to learn. By embracing risk and pushing through discomfort, I can disrupt the fear cycle, build confidence, and develop the skills I need to move forward. Each time I take action, the fear becomes smaller, and I grow stronger.

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Closing Thoughts

I was told the first edition of Verstreuen felt a little to “ChatGPT-y” so this week I wrote my thoughts in the first person. Let me know if this helped you connect with the ideas shared and any other feedback you have to help improve Verstreuen.

Each of the ideas this week—about observing your mind, focusing your efforts, and breaking the fear cycle—came together in an unexpected but meaningful way for me. My goal in writing this newsletter is to connect the notes I gather and ensure that my learning doesn’t stop at knowledge but transforms into action.

While I had reservations about sharing this with you I looked at what I wrote, observed my thoughts, focused my action and stepped out of my comfort zone to break the cycle of fear and create something that I hope you find interesting and valuable.

Thanks for reading Verstreuen

Thanks for taking the time to explore and reflect on my notes with me. If any ideas particularly resonated or challenged you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

👋 Until next week.

-GH

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