I have a problem.
I’m a sucker for new ideas. When one pops into my head, it often feels like the greatest idea I've ever had. I become totally convinced it's the one worth chasing—worth dropping everything else for, or at least adding alongside what I'm currently working on. I'm a little embarrassed by how many times I've learned this lesson the hard way, but if I'm not careful, I'll have to learn it again.
At the end of 2024, I took a careful inventory of everything I did that year (a great exercise, by the way, but that’s a story for another day). This included new creative or entrepreneurial ventures I’d begun.
The results: time after time, I'd abandoned my current project for a shiny new idea.
I had four ventures that were abandoned in 2024, each one ending around three months in. That’s when I found the next shiny idea.
Each one felt justified in the moment, each one felt like it could be "the one." But looking back, the pattern was painfully clear: I was constantly jumping from one idea to the next without ever fully nurturing the one I was already committed to. Or worse, I convinced myself I could handle both simultaneously. If you’ve ever watched a dog chasing squirrels, you’ll know that when there is one squirrel, the dog may have a chance. When there are three squirrels, the dog becomes distracted and has a lesser chance of catching even one.
I lacked consistency, focus, and long-term thinking. I was chasing too many squirrels.
Advice from world-class achievers
Steve Jobs, Co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. was known for his ruthless focus.
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”
Tom Brady, during his Hall of Fame induction speech, gave away his secret sauce for success.
“To be successful at anything, the truth is, you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t: consistent, determined, and willing to work for it. No shortcuts.”
Brady and Jobs understood what I needed to learn: success and progress come from disciplined focus multiplied by consistency. Not from chasing the next great idea.
I knew it was time for a change. I needed focus and patience. But here's the honest truth: every new idea still feels like the best one yet! Maybe it is, but it doesn't really matter if you’ll never see it through.
The “Not Now” List
So, I created what I call the "Not Now" list. Instead of holding endless ideas in my mind (which would surely drive me insane), I now have a place to dump them. This simple exercise has been a godsend in more ways than one.
It gives me permission to stay focused on the current project. No detours.
It lets each idea breathe. Often, some distance reveals whether an idea truly has merit or if it was merely excitement in disguise.
It creates a repository of potential greatness for the future. Not every idea is meant to be acted on right now. Some ideas are genuinely great—but they require time, resources, skills, or positioning you just don’t have yet. Trying to execute prematurely can actually ruin them. When the timing, tools, or team align, the idea’s already waiting for you, ready to be brought to life.
Seeing all these ideas together on paper teaches you about yourself and the way your mind works. It helps reveal the product ecosystem (or life ecosystem) that your brain is constantly working on behind the scenes.
It allows me to consider whether someone else is better positioned to bring the idea to life, and I can share it with them (or partner with them).
The Not Now list isn’t about stifling creativity or squashing enthusiasm—it’s about directing it effectively. It's been my secret weapon in cultivating genuine focus. And honestly, my future self already feels grateful.
Once I started using the Not Now List, I realized something else: Ideas aren’t the only thing that pull me off course. Shifting priorities and decision fatigue chip away at momentum.
So I started pairing the Not Now List with a weekly ritual I call Sunday Systems. Every Sunday, I sit down and map out the week ahead. I don’t just list tasks—I decide what matters most, where my time should actually go, and what I’m saying “Not Now” to, before the week even begins.
That combination—Sunday Systems and the Not Now List—has been a game-changer for me. Try my Sunday Systems Worksheet (I bet you’ll get 50% more done in a week)
👉 Download the Sunday Systems worksheet here.
And definitely check out my YouTube 👌
The Tom Brady Speech will get you so damn fired up that I’m dropping a longer chunk of it here.