This Is Not Advice - The Blank Slate Problem

Hola amigos,

Last week I told you I'd quit my dream job to pursue an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. This week, I want to talk about what happened next: The Blank Slate Problem.

There's something uniquely paralyzing about going from the structured processes of a company to an empty Notion page with nothing but a blinking cursor.

Instinctively clicking on the Slack icon in my dock, muscle memory. I closed it, opened it again, closed it. A digital security blanket I no longer needed but couldn't quite let go of.

So how do I fix the blank slate problem?

Here's how I'm approaching it:

Create Process First, Content Second

Instead of diving straight into the creative work, I'm spending time setting up the systems that will make building possible.

I've created a course structure for my own work, not an actual course, but a pathway that forces me to progress in logical steps rather than jumping around between exciting but disconnected ideas.

Tech Stack as Scaffolding

Thomas Frank's Ultimate Brain 3.0 has been game-changing. The template is too in-depth to list all the ways I'm using it in this newsletter, but one section I'm obsessed with is the quick capture widget on my phone.

I can add a quick note for anything I would otherwise forget, and then later sort that into sections, projects, or tasks. This alone has saved countless ideas from disappearing into the void of "I'll remember it later".

AI Tools for Different Purposes:

• Gemini within Google Workspace for help in Google Sheets, Google Drive, and meeting transcription
• Claude for writing and refining ideas
• ChatGPT for deep research when I need specific domain knowledge

Automation Infrastructure:

• n8n for connecting different services and creating workflows
• Make.com for more complex automations that require conditional logic
• Notion as the central hub where everything lives

Yes, I probably spent too much time setting this up. But there's something powerfully motivating about having good tools ready to go.

Creating External Accountability

The final piece, making commitments I can't easily back out of.

I'm constantly talking to friends and mentors about the business and the vision. Now I've started, there's the expectation to report back on progress.

This newsletter serves the same purpose. By telling you what I'm working on, I'm creating soft pressure to make meaningful progress each week.

I've used this same strategy before with my endurance sport training. For 404 days I posted a daily vlog to my Instagram (@jonnyshobbies) as peer pressure to ensure I wasn't slacking on my training. I know that sounds a bit mental, but it works for me :)

The Blank Slate Still Lurks

Despite all this scaffolding, I still feel that blank slate anxiety. I still catch myself opening Slack out of habit, looking for tasks someone else has defined.

The difference is that now, when I close that Slack window, I have somewhere concrete to go. The blank page has guidelines, faint, self-imposed ones, but guidelines nonetheless.

Until next week,
Jonny