“For a few weeks, I started each morning by writing “What do I actually want?” at the top of a blank page.

It’s surprising how useful it is to keep asking the same question. Each time, my answer became more precise.

Once I knew what I wanted, I turned it into action steps.”

This time, I asked myself, “What might you want to do someday as a result of today?” This was not a list of firm commitments, just a way to get all of the ideas out of my head and on paper. This had two purposes. First, it ensured I wouldn’t forget about those ideas, which might prove useful later. Second, it alleviated that stressful and distracti

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