3 Inspired Thoughts (That Might Change Your Week)

Welcome to Refusing to Settle! My weekly newsletter where life-changing frameworks and uncomfortable truths collide to build the 2.0 You.

🎉 My Best Journal 2.0 is finally LIVE! 🎉

The exact system I’ve used for 4,000+ days to coach myself, find clarity, and reinvent when life got messy.

It’s a journaling system that will change your life and help you grow more in 1 month than most people do in an entire year. If you’ve ever wanted to journal but didn’t know where to start, this was built for you.

Get My Best Journal Now!

P.S. It’s a launch special: 50% off for a limited time. Don’t miss out!

What’s on deck today:

• why being wrong feels so right
• comfort zones aren’t even real
• overthinking isn’t your fault
• Brain rot, brain fog, and feeling stupid as a superpower

Missed last week? — Catch up on the archive here​

1. The Joy of Being Wrong

I’m currently reading Think Again by Adam Grant and I had to include this.

Quick test: How much do you think you know about these topics compared to most people?

• Why English became the official language of the United States
• Why women were burned at the stake in Salem
• What job Walt Disney had before drawing Mickey Mouse
• Whether you can see the Great Wall of China from space

Think you nailed a few?

Turns out… they’re all wrong.

“America has no official language, suspected witches were hanged in Salem but not burned, Walt Disney didn’t draw Mickey Mouse (it was the work of an animator named Ub Iwerks), you can’t actually see the Great Wal of China l from space.”

Reading that was like getting dunked on by a book.

But also? It’s funny. Being totally wrong was more satisfying than pretending I had it all figured out.

Welcome to the Dunning-Kruger club. The more confident we feel about our knowledge, the more we overestimate what we actually know.

I’ve started saying three words way more in my 30s than I ever did in my 20s: “I don’t know.”

Back in the day, I thought confidence meant having all the answers. Especially with the work I do, coaching and creating content. Now I realize true confidence comes from being curious enough to admit when you don’t.

If you’ve ever felt stupid for not knowing something, good.

It just means your ego didn’t get there first.

2. Why You Can’t Think Straight

Ever wake up already mentally exhausted?

Overthinking everything?

Or maybe you feel a constant low-grade brain fog throughout the day?

I know exactly why, because I’m right there with you.

Almost embarrassed to admit this, but I still fall asleep listening to podcasts. I’ll wake up annoyed at 2 AM, ripping an AirPod from my ear, wondering why I insisted on cramming even more ideas into my brain while unconscious.

Most of us aren’t doing one thing at a time anymore. Our brains bounce between tasks, tabs, podcasts, and feeds. We live in a constant state of overstimulation. And it’s only getting worse.

I’ve struggled with overstimulation my whole life.

Diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager (aced that test, straight A’s in attention deficit!) I’ve chosen to manage it naturally. But overstimulation cranks anxiety, overthinking, and brain fog to another level.

In 2024, Oxford named “brain rot” the Word of the Year. Which I find equal parts hilarious and depressing.

And to be honest, I’m kinda tired of the judgment around this topic. No one’s immune to what social media is doing to us in 2025.

We all know it’s not healthy. Question is, what can we actually do about it?

Here’s one thing that helped me massively.

Journaling.

It literally saves me from drowning in mental noise. It’s why I’m so passionate about it. Not because it’s the most marketable thing to talk about (it’s not great for views), but because it works.

When I stop journaling, the brain fog sets in fast. But when I do it consistently, it’s like the clouds part and thoughts get clearer, sharper, lighter.

That’s exactly why I rebuilt My Best Journal for 2025. I wanted a system that made journaling simple, effective, and something you’d stick with naturally. Not as another chore, but as mental clarity insurance.

But if you want to try journaling for yourself, do this:

Tomorrow morning, take 10 minutes.

Write three pages of whatever’s in your head.

Don’t worry about how it sounds.

Watch what happens when you hear from yourself first. Clear thinking comes from mental space.

Everything else is noise.

3. Comfort Zones Are Overrated (And Probably Fake).

Here’s one I’ve been journaling on this week.

Everyone says you have to “leave your comfort zone” like it’s some magical growth hack.

But the more I sit with it, the more I’m convinced: comfort zones don’t actually exist.

Comfort, by definition, should feel good. But what most people call “comfort zones” are just familiar routines that make them miserable.

Myself included.

I spent 28 years in Seattle, complaining daily about the weather and local politics. I called it “home.” But the truth was, I wasn’t comfortable. I was terrified of uprooting. Moving felt huge and scary until one day, I just did it. Packed up, headed to Scottsdale, AZ, and never looked back.

Here’s another one:

I’ve had “try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” scribbled on the back of my journal as a goal for 8 years, always finding a convenient excuse. “too busy…” “maybe next year…”

This year, in full “screw it” mode, I finally joined a gym. Nothing crushes your ego and your imaginary comfort zone faster than being choked out at 8 PM by a 22-year-old who weighs 40 lbs less than you.

Humbling? Definitely.

Comfortable? Nope.

But fun.

I love being a beginner at things and learning.

It’s more accurate to say you have a “fear zone” instead of a comfort zone.

Sounds a lot worse to admit “I’m choosing to stay in my fear zone” than “I’m in my comfort zone” doesn’t it?

The so-called “comfort zone” is really a cage built from familiar fears:

• That job you hate but won’t leave? You’re just scared of uncertainty.
• That relationship emotionally over two years ago? You’re terrified of being alone.
• That city you constantly complain about? You’re afraid of starting over.

Here’s the kicker: The “scary” unknown usually ends up more comfortable than the familiar misery.

Try this tonight (really do it):

Write down one thing you’ve been telling yourself is “comfortable” but drains you every day. Then, write one small step you could take tomorrow to explore changing it.

The biggest risk isn’t trying something new.

It’s wasting years in fake comfort that keeps you stuck.

Updates

My Best Journal 2.0 — Just one week left on this launch special (Click here for 50% off). If you’ve been waiting, grab yours here. Once it’s gone, it’s gone!

YouTube Content

• Latest: These 4 Journal Questions allow you to COACH YOURSELF ​
• Previous: 3 Journaling Systems to Change Your Life ​
• Coming next week: Book Breakdown: The Courage to Be Disliked

What I’m Listening To

I’ve had this Synthwave Night Drive playlist running all week. Total ’80s movie vibes. Highly recommended for late-night focus.

See you next Saturday,

CK