Thin Desires Are Eating Your Life
A thick desire is one that changes you in the process of pursuing it. A thin desire is one that doesn’t… Thick desires are inconvenient. They take years to cultivate and can’t be satisfied on demand… The thick life doesn’t scale.
I think Cal Newport would call this Deep Work and Quality Leisure Time. I love the idea of doing things in ways that don’t scale.
Neuroscience Says You Need a Personal Curriculum for 2026 by Jessica Stillman
I’ve been a fan of the DIY Degree, where you systematically study each area of a given field using real syllabi. The Personal Curriculum is a condensed version of the DIY Degree. Here’s how it works:
- Choose a topic you’re curious about.
- Select one book + one podcast episode + one long-form video about the topic to study
- Do one “homework” assignment such as writing a short essay or making a collage
Why make things harder by assigning yourself homework?
The brain thrives on cycles of challenge, feedback, and progress, yet adult life rarely makes space for that kind of experimentation
Going that extra mile with the homework ensures that your brain doesn’t get bored.