Write of Passage Weekly - Hugging the X-Axis

This month, we’re launching Writing Sprints — workout classes for your mind. If you’re interested but still have questions or concerns, you can book a 15-minute call with us. We'd love to hear from you.

Check out this video to learn how you’ll go from zero to published in one day.

Have you ever started writing a new idea with fervor only to abandon it halfway through?

You jump from one idea to the next, with unfinished thoughts littering your Google Docs. You start a piece in a rush of inspiration, only to get distracted by your next idea. Once a shiny object catches your mind’s eye, it’s game over — you drop everything to chase it with reckless abandon.

The result? You’re bursting with ideas but have nothing to show for it. You’re perpetually inspired, but your brain is like a ball of yarn: messy, jumbled, and snagging every surface. You’re suffering from Shiny Object Syndrome.

How do I know? Because once upon a time, I was the CEO of Shiny Objects Incorporated.

Before I uncovered my love for writing, I cast my net far and wide, dabbling in cryptocurrencies, consulting, advertising, broadcasting, and sports. I was terrified of boxing myself in. What if I handicapped my own potential?

I practically became allergic to commitment.

But over time, here’s what I learned: a life without commitment is a life spent hugging the x-axis.

Refusing to commit to your ideas results in a limp, linear trajectory where you skim the surface of what you could accomplish. It’s only when you commit to your ideas that you climb a compounding curve. Ironically, commitment isn’t limiting — it’s liberating.

Uncovering this truth helped me break the cycle of Shiny Object Syndrome. Instead of dancing around my ideas, I doubled-down on them. I published essay after essay. And I climbed the compounding curve of my potential.

I’ve seen firsthand how committing to your ideas unlocks your capacity for growth. It frees you from being stuck on half-baked articles and a pile of depreciating works-in-progress. I’ve seen it happen for hundreds of Write of Passage Students, and it can happen for you too.

If you’re sick with Shiny Object Syndrome, there is good news. It means you already have the creative spirit. You have no shortage of ideas. Now, you just need the fortitude to finish what you start. You don’t just owe it to yourself. The world wants to hear what you have to say.

Join us for Writing Sprints to commit to your ideas and unlock your potential. You’ll work against a strict deadline to draft, edit, and ship a piece of writing — all in one day. It’s like CrossFit for creativity. Instead of an unfinished idea that gets buried in your Google Drive, you’ll finish the day with a published piece. You’ll prove to yourself that you can finish what you start.

The first-ever workshops will run on Saturday, June 10, and Friday, June 23. To secure your spot in Writing Sprints, click the button below and enroll before next Wednesday, June 7. We’ll see you on the starting block.

Happy writing,

David

Key phrases

limp linear trajectory shiny object syndrome

Older messages

Silence Your Inner Critic

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

How to push past resistance and unleash your creativity In June, we're launching Writing Sprints — workout classes for your mind — to take you from zero to published in one day. If you're

Do You Hoard Ideas?

Friday, May 26, 2023

What you can learn from The Cultural Tutor, one of the fastest-growing accounts on Twitter and a friend of Write of Passage Today, I want to share the story of The Cultural Tutor. His life changed as

A Workout Class for Your Mind

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Introducing Writing Sprints — our new workshop, with a proven method to take you from zero to published in day. Thank you for your interest in Write of Passage. I'm reaching out today to announce

We're Narrowing the Focus

Friday, April 28, 2023

One of the most common mistakes in essay-writing is choosing a topic that's too broad. Instead, focus on your Shiny Dime. Narrow the scope. Write of Passage Hello Writers, One of the most common

Where Will You Be In Six Months?

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Write of Passage is an invitation to make the Internet work for you—to stop spending your time, energy, and ideas on other people's dreams. Write of Passage logo transparent-1 Hey, Today is your

How to make new friends as an adult

Monday, December 11, 2023

Hi everyone, This is probably my favorite time of year, and I'm sad it feels like it's already almost over. The song Auld Lang Syne somehow captures the tension of both melancholy & hope of

Mini Announcement, The AI Alliance, Google's Gemini & Independence Mantra

Monday, December 11, 2023

Explore the groundbreaking AI Alliance, witness the unveiling of Google's Gemini and many other AI news, and embrace the power of independence 3-in-3 Mini Announcement, The AI Alliance,

• Authors: Kindle Vella Promo Ads via Social Media •

Monday, December 11, 2023

Promote your Vella episodes. We want to help you get your VELLA series out on front of readers. Our VELLA SERIES PROMO Packages can get you there! VELLA SERIES PROMOTIONS by ContentMo We want to help

Fail, learn, repeat = Experimentation mantra

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Ready to take experimentation to the next level? Then is time to adopt the mindset of experimentation: fail, learn, repeat. Our new course Advance Experimentation Masterclass will teach you how to run

Food for Agile Thought #422: Human Misjudgment, Evaluating Product Managers, Fake Agile, Scaling Simplified

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Also: Strategy & Discovery, Indecisiveness, Tuckman, Just Hiring Talented People? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Paperback • Shipwrecked and Rescued by Larry Jorgensen • Over 50 historic photos included, memories, & details not known before.

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Off the tip of the snow-covered Keweenaw Peninsula both the crew and the cars are saved... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Transitioning to social impact careers: Bloom coach advice

Sunday, December 10, 2023

The Bloom Issue #149, Dec 10 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

FTI #390: Two life-changing concepts

Sunday, December 10, 2023

The more you absorb these two concepts and act accordingly, the happier and more successful you'll become. Now, on to this week's ideas... *** The Starting Five 1. Get My Product-In-A-Day

Profits Are Proof of Service

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Every step toward the elimination of profit is progress on the way toward social disintegration. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

• Christmas Week Book Promo Ads for Authors & Publishers •

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Reserve a Spot Now to Get Seen During the Busiest Shopping Season of the Year! Book Your Spot in Our 7-Day Countdown to Christmas Book Promotion! Enable Images Christmas is Monday, December 25th •