Don’t stop until you get your second wind
Most people give up way too early.
Hi friends
Welcome back, let’s get into it.
I’ve built over 10 failed apps. Why? Because I rushed in. I thought I had a great idea but I forgot to do the basic checks. I was impatient. Plus, I didn’t know what they were. So I studied validation endlessly. And created a guide that makes it simple and a process that anyone can follow. Make sure your idea works, before you waste time and money.
The best ideas come after you want to quit.
When you sit down to solve a problem, your brain gives you the easy answers first. These might be:
The safe choice
Something you’ve seen before
The obvious solution
This is when most people stop. Don’t be most people.
Here’s what happens if you stay longer. Your mind shifts gears. After the easy answers run out, it starts making new connections.
That impossible problem? Suddenly it has a clear path.
That difficult email you need to write? It finds the right words.
The strategy you’re stuck on? It becomes clear around a new idea you couldn’t see before.
A smart guy named William James noticed this over 100 years ago. He said we have extra energy stored up that we don’t know about. What feels like being tired is often just the end of your first try. You still have more in you.
Your mind works in layers. The top layer gives you familiar stuff. The deeper layers give you the unexpected solutions that actually work. But you only get to those deeper layers by sticking with it.
Next time you hit a wall, don’t walk away. Stay for five more minutes.
Don’t force it. Just let your mind find a different way to look at the problem.
The second wind isn’t just for runners. It’s for anyone willing to work past their first urge to quit.
Best,
Courtney
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🤖 AI prompt of the week
When you’ve written something and want to get some truthful and helpful feedback, paste this prompt into your LLM of choice. I like Claude, but any will do.
I am giving you a piece of writing. Your job is to critique it ruthlessly but constructively. Be blunt, honest, and specific—no sugarcoating. Point out weak sentences, clichés, unnecessary words, confusing structure, or anything that lowers the quality. Tell me what works and what doesn’t. Then, give me practical, actionable advice on how to make it sharper, clearer, and more engaging.
Finally, summarize your critique into 3 sections:
Strengths – what’s working well.Weaknesses – where the writing falls short.Improvements – specific, actionable changes I should make.
Here’s the writing: