Overthinking Won't Make You Smarter – Your Shot of Fearless Culture #383

Where change agents find their weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.

Jun 25, 2025

As some of you may know, I love to cook. It's not a hobby but something I'm really passionate about—from big planned meals to everyday stuff. I always like to play around.

One of the things I usually do is, once I'm almost done, I step back and see what the dish is missing. But rather than thinking about it, I look for inspiration. Maybe opening the fridge or checking my extensive spice rack.

Often, something triggers my instincts, and I find that magic touch that turns a good recipe into a great one.

That's exactly what happened to me with my book. I woke up on Monday, looked at my manuscript (version 4 already), and sensed that something was missing, but I couldn't tell what. This time, I didn't browse my spice rack but instead decided to ask for feedback. Not as you'd expect—sharing my book and getting input—but actually looking for stories.

So I decided to invite people to share the conversations they regret—the ones that didn't happen or went bad.

Whether at work or in personal relationships, we all have unfinished conversations that we keep having with ourselves but not with the right people.

That's the topic of this week's newsletter: self-awareness doesn't happen alone. While reflection (when well done) is crucial, so is asking for feedback so people can highlight what we miss.

I hope you join me and help me reach 10,000 stories.

Here's the link if you want to share yours or look at the conversations others regret: forwardtalk.co

Because overthinking won't make our dishes—or ideas—better. Sometimes, we need to look in other places. The real magic doesn't happen inside our head but outside of it.

Explore this week's newsletter:

My latest article → How to See Yourself Clearly
An exercise to reflect on your thinking process
Resources to increase self-awareness

Stay fearless, my friend.

Gustavo

In Case You Missed It

→ How to Stop Your Thoughts From Eating You Alive

Ask Your Team This

How are you getting in your own way?

⚠️ Try This

The Decision Mirror

Whenever you make an important decision, write down what you expect to happen and why. Set a reminder on your calendar for 3-6 months out.

When the reminder pops up, compare reality to your predictions. What assumptions held up? What didn't? What patterns do you notice in your thinking?

This isn't about being right or wrong—it's about becoming more aware of your thought process.

🍦 Feed Your Curiosity

The right way to be introspective (yes, there's a wrong way)

15 simple exercises to increase your self-awareness

The difference between reflection and rumination

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