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How Progress Is Like Crossing a River

How Progress Is Like Crossing a River

You don’t leap over it—you step through it. In this issue: how to flip the "what if," a simple framework to show the 80/20 Rule, how you are not your emotions, and what to do when you're overwhelmed with a task.

PJ Milani
April 29, 2025

🤔 INTERESTING

Illustration by milaniCREATIVE.art contrasting fear and success through bold text. The top panel shows the phrase “What if…” in large letters under the label “Fear.” The bottom panel shows a fist punching through paper, with the word “Even” written across the knuckles, completing the phrase “Even if…” under the label “Success,” symbolizing resilience and courage over hesitation.

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Most people let fear stop them before they start.

"What if I fail?"
"What if people judge me?"
"What if I'm not good enough?"

These questions paralyze us.
Try flipping the script.

Replace "what if" with "EVEN IF."
"Even if I fail, I'll learn something valuable."
"Even if people judge me, I'll grow stronger."
"Even if I'm not perfect, I'll be better than yesterday."

The most successful people I know aren't fearless.
They simply move forward, "even if" scared.

Read the full post here.

📐 DESIGN

A quick and easy visual metaphor anyone can make ↴

Illustration by milaniCREATIVE.art showing the “Square Pizza Slice Framework.” A large blue square represents the majority, with a small piece cut out and labeled “Important part is minority.” On the right, is an example of this framework that compares “Total time you have with your friends before age 18” as the big square, and a tiny piece labeled “After age 18,” highlighting how precious early moments are.

A useful way to show the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule). You can use this for anything where you want to highlight the importance of the smaller element—like the handful of customers who drive most of your revenue.

The big square is the majority (80%), while that small detached piece represents the minority (20%).

Know what else can show a majority/minority relationship? That’s right! A pie chart! So you can think of this framework as a variation of the pie chart but with just a different texture.

What I love about this metaphor is its instant clarity. That small piece calls out, “I’m small, but mighty!”

P.S. When you’re ready to learn more frameworks like this, you can secure your spot for Thinking in Visual Metaphors. Enrollment for Cohort 11 launches today!

🔮 ENCHANTING

Illustration by milaniCREATIVE.art showing a reminder that emotions are temporary. In the first panel, a small figure struggles to move forward through heavy rain and dark clouds under the caption “Your emotions…” In the second panel, the figure reaches sunlight breaking through the clouds with the caption “…will pass.” A small note below reads “You are not your feelings,” reinforcing the idea that emotions are fleeting, not defining.

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Remember: above every cloud, the sun remains.

🧠 ANALOGY

Illustration by milaniCREATIVE.art showing perseverance through small steps. In the top panel, a small figure struggles to move a giant mountain with the caption “When you can’t do it all at once.” In the bottom panel, the figure chips away a piece of the mountain and drags it forward, with the caption “…do it one piece at a time.” The visual metaphor emphasizes that progress is made by steady, incremental effort.

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If it feels too heavy, you’re probably trying to carry it all at once.

🤓 WHAT I’M READING NOW

Image of the book, Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte

Tiago Forte’s “Building a Second Brain”

A second brain is a fancy word for an intentional notetaking system that keeps tracks of your ideas, projects, and other efforts in your life.

I’ve recently hopped back into Tiago Forte’s, “Building a Second Brain,” to explore ideas on improving a system of keeping track of visual ideas.

Illustration by milaniCREATIVE.art showing three pitchers labeled “Books,” “Podcasts,” and “Observations” spilling water into puddles under the phrase “Ideas are everywhere.” Below, the same pitchers pour water directly into open brains, symbolizing how ideas can be captured and nurtured if you learn to notice them.

If you’re curious, my process feels a little convoluted but it works for me:

Quick Capture: Drafts or Apple Notes (fleeting ideas in day)
Slow Capture: Notebook & Pen (journal & sketch)
Long Capture: Obsidian (examining & colliding ideas)

The one tip I can give to those starting out in personal knowledge management (PKM) is focus less on the 'how', and more on the 'how long.' Every system has its pros and cons, but the longer you use it, the better the system gets.

Avoid the temptation to keep switching systems to “start fresh.” Stick to it long enough to smooth out the kinks so it works for you.

There's no perfect system. It just becomes less imperfect over time. ❤️

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