Hey there —YouTube has over 37 million channels. If you live in NYC you can choose from over 28,000 restaurants on Grubhub. Need some toilet paper? Amazon has over 3,000 retailers selling dozens of brands to wipe your bum. We’ve got a lot of options for everything from dinner to streaming services. But is that a good thing?It turns out that it’s not.Thanks to something called the “paradox of choice” we know that access to a never-ending buffet of choices is making us miserable. Basically, the more options we have, the harder it is to pick something we actually want.It’s why you spent three weeks trying to pick out a new toaster.Many of us get trapped in the hell of indecision and drive ourselves nuts by overthinking each and every choice we have to make each day. And we’re making more decisions than ever.But as American entrepreneur Marie Forleo says, “Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.” The only way to get decisive feedback on your choices is to take action. You have to do something to know if you want something. The good news is you can start small.🎬 Debating about moving to NYC or LA for work? You don’t have to sign a lease. Just reach out to New Yorkers and Californians for their advice. Or take a weekend trip to feel it out.📱 Not sure if you should start a TikTok account or a YouTube channel? Pick up your iPhone and film your first TikTok. Or take a master course on YouTube. 🙅‍♂️ Wrestling with quitting your job? Become a permissionless apprentice and do market research in your industry. Whatever you do, engage with the decision because each action you take will give you the feedback and confidence to keep going. As Jonathan Fields said, “The only bad decision is indecision because it leads to inaction.” Get out of your head and start experimenting. You might like what happens.

Why Procrastinators Procrastinate 

Ted Talk | by Tim Urban

If you’re a procrastinator, you know the feeling of having a paper due the next morning and embarking on a Redbull-infused, self-hatred-fueled writing extravaganza.

Writer Tim Urban knows this feeling well. A master procrastinator, Tim wanted to figure out why his brain works the way it does.

In this Ted Talk, Tim shows that all procrastinators have an “Instant Gratification Monkey” and this rascal is the culprit behind your Wikipedia rabbit holes and YouTube binges. 

Turns out procrastination isn’t just about missing deadlines. It’s what stops people from achieving their goals and dreams because they never even started chasing them. And considering the average person loses 55 days a year to procrastination, that's a real problem. 

We think we have all the time in the world. But we don’t. Get started working on what you care about, today.

Ok, maybe not today today, but you know...sometime soon.

Watch the Ted Talk →

Your 20’s Don’t Have to Be the Time of Your Life 

Article | by Rainesford Stauffer 

“Your 20’s are the best times of your life!”

We don’t know who came up with this phrase, but we can all agree that categorizing your 20’s as the “peak” decade puts a limit on our growth. 

In reality, being a 20-something is hard. You’re indecisive, and confused by the expectations that you have to figure life out while the mainstream narrative tells you that you should be a wild-and-free 20-something. 

Journalist Rainesfod Stauffer challenges the idea that your 20’s is a one-size-fits kind of deal. Far from the stereotypical soul-searcher, the average 20-year-old struggles with making a living wage, student-debt, and building a career in a wobbly economy.  

Like Rainesford writes: 

“We are growing into ourselves across a whole lifetime, not just throughout one decade. Let’s all retire the idea of our 20s as a #bestlife—and just strive for a good one.”

Read the article → 

Ideas Are Just a Multiplier of Execution 

Article | by Derek Sivers 

Have you ever had an idea so juicy you couldn’t share it with anyone? Because, you know...someone might steal it? 

Turns out you’re putting your energy into the wrong thing. 

Derek Sivers gives us a pithy reminder that unless you multiply your idea with masterful execution, your idea is worth nothing. Nada. Zilch. 

Instead of guarding your idea, it’s critical that you take action. Even if you’re sitting on the next billion-dollar thing, it’s worth nothing unless you take tangible, real action. 

Read the article → 

Written by Alice Lemée

Edited by Matt D'Avella & Shawn Forno