The Simple Mind is a newsletter to help you reduce overthinking and boost self-confidence - Reading time: 2min.

One story for you

This week I felt unmotivated.

Some weeks, being a solopreneur feels like it’s just me on my sailboat, in the middle of the ocean, with no ounce of wind. This leaves me with two options:

A. I can row. I’ll get tired I won’t go too far but I’ll feel like I am doing something. Sort of in control.
B. I can take a fun dip in the ocean, get some rest, and be fully operational when the wind comes back.

I should know better, but I started with option A. Forced myself to get motivated, or rather attempted to, with no concluding results and a lot of frustration.

When frustration grows, I write on Squibbler’s ”Most dangerous app in the world”—an app designed for writers to snap out of writer’s block. You have to keep writing from the moment you start or the text will disappear. No second guessing allowed.

I start with I feel frustrated because…Vent and extract raw information from my mind on what’s going on. It brings relief, and as I reread with a quieter mind it brings clarity on what I need.

The block was pretty clear, I needed to reconnect with fun and my mission. So simple.

An idea popped in, what if I built this tool into my website with a coaching spin? If it’s helping me, for sure it can help other professionals.

The little geek in me had a blast. With the unconditional support of Chat GPT, I built a page on my website, embedded the app on it, and wrote prompts relating to the different scenarios in which I use this writing tool.

The result? A new webpage, and a burst of energy that gave me the drive to kill my to-do (and more) without even thinking about it.

Why did it work? I addressed my roadblock: lack of fun and purpose. I love to create, and a tool like this one delivers on my mission (help people improve their relationship with their mind). Building it energized me, so much I could tackle the less sexy tasks.

Move past the small roadblocks fast

I call small roadblocks, the times our mind mini-sabotage and blocks us. There’s usually an easy fix, but we create so much resistance we start running around like headless chickens.

Why they happen

Roadblocks come from a conversation with our mind we have ignored.

In my case, I ignored the fact that I felt disconnected from my mission, and my need for fun. Focused on my business needs, I ignored the signals, until my mind created a block big enough I could no longer ignore it.

I did not need much, it was an easy fix. Learning to facilitate these inner conversations helps move past the roadblock, and writing is a great facilitator.

The power of writing under pressure

Journaling (handwriting or writing in a normal setup) allows you to slow your thoughts down. It gives you time to process, dive deeper, and expand on them. You consciously and willingly let surface some of your unconscious thoughts and choose which thought trails to follow.

Writing under pressure creates a different dynamic.

There’s no time to process or judge the thoughts they just pour out of you. It’s the writing equivalent of an angry burst, in a controlled environment.

You bait your mind into following its hectic rhythm. You carelessly extract a lot of unconscious thoughts, without even thinking about them. It processes the anger, or hectic energy and allows you to expose and understand your unconscious thoughts on the topic.

One nudge for you

Well two nudges for you

1 - Next time you feel frustrated, stuck, full of self-doubt, meh, or you procrastinate, use this tool. The timer is set to one minute without stopping, but you’ll see once in flow, you won’t stop until you get it all out of your system.

2 - Tell me which problem you’d like me to add a prompt for. I’ll happily do it (Did I mention I have fun working on this?).

As always, I appreciate you for reading.

Orianne

PS: I hope this newsletter serves as a reminder to do fun things, even if they’re geeky!

If you’re new here, welcome! I’m Orianne, I share weekly tools to help you reduce overthinking and boost your self-confidence.

A bit more about me: I am a mindset coach. I coach brilliant humans who perform very well but want to improve their relationship with themselves (their minds). I am a chocolate addict, live by the beach, and always read several books at the same time (currently La Traversée des Temps, Tome 4, and Surrounded by Idiots).

If you enjoyed this newsletter, you can read the previous editions and subscribe here. If you’re ready for coaching you can book an intro call.