You Don’t Need to Feel Inspired to Get Things Done
Notes #7 - Why maniacal momentum beats waiting for the perfect moment, EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Hey everyone! 👋🏼
Josep here, back with your weekly bite of career insights and encouragement ✨
Last week, we dove into how GenAI is not the real threat, but how you adapt to it might be.
This week, we’re taking a different kind of plunge — one that’s a little more personal, a little more uncomfortable, and incredibly important:
🌀 Your work doesn’t have to come from the heart every time.
🧭 In today’s issue:
Why chasing “inspiration” can secretly sabotage your momentum
How to embrace a two-mode workflow: heart-driven and maniacal
The mindset shift that will help you finish more, fear less, and thrive
Stick with me for 5 minutes — it will be worth it, I promise! ✨
Let’s dive in! 👇🏻
‼️ The second module, Programming Basics of the introductory course to Data Science is now live on LearnDs.ai. Just go check it out now!
This past weekend, I took a walk through a big park near my place — birds chirping, wind brushing my face… and my mind stuck on a familiar loop:
You should finish that article. But you’re not really feeling it, are you?
Sound familiar?
We’re taught that creative work is sacred.
To make something meaningful, we need to wait for the right mood, the right muse, the right magic.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t need to feel inspired to create something valuable.
Waiting to feel it is one of the most deceptive forms of procrastination.
It’s elegant.
Sneaky.
And if left unchecked, it can keep your best ideas locked in your drafts folder forever.
Creative work has two modes, and you need both
Alex Mathers calls them:
Heart-driven work: The kind that flows effortlessly when emotion strikes. It’s raw, alive, electric.
Maniacal work: The kind you do despite feeling tired, uninspired, or creatively flat. It’s mechanical, messy, and often thankless — but powerful.
Most people wait for the heart.
The pros? They show up like maniacs.
I’d add another truth here:
Maniacal work unlocks the door to heart-driven work.
You don’t find inspiration by thinking about it.
You stumble into it while doing the work anyway.
Procrastination ≠ laziness. It’s mismanaged emotion.
Procrastination often masks something deeper:
Fear of imperfection.
Fear of wasted effort.
Fear of realizing our ideas don’t match our abilities.
But those who finish things (whether books, designs, newsletters, or code) aren’t fearless.
They’re simply better at acting through discomfort.
Not ready? Do it anyway.
Don’t feel it? Show up anyway.
Hate what’s coming out? Keep going anyway.
Momentum doesn’t come from clarity. It comes from action.
3 Practices to Create More (Even If You Don’t Feel Like It)
#1 Build a boring routine
Creativity is often romanticized, but the reality is much simpler (and less glamorous):
Show up.
Sit down.
Set a timer.
Work until it dings.
Grab a snack or drink some water.
Come back.
Repeat.
Own the process.
Life isn’t supposed to feel exciting every single day (at least when building something exciting! 😉)
Some of the most important work happens during the boring — and sometimes painful — stretches.
#2 Use constraints, not vibes
Don’t wait for a spark. Give yourself boundaries:
Write 300 words in 20 minutes.
Sketch 5 ugly notes.
Code for 1 Pomodoro, even if I hate it.
Constraints create momentum.
Momentum breeds clarity.
#3. Normalize trash output
Half of what I create is useless.
The other half wouldn’t exist without the trash.
Even your worst work moves you closer to your best.
So always remember…
A creative career is made of both kinds of work: heart-driven and maniacal work.
The second module, Programming Basics of our introductory course to Data Science is now live on our new platform LearnDs.ai.
Dive in and explore it today!
PS: You’re allowed to…
Create without waiting for inspiration — even if it feels clumsy at first.
Show up on the boring days — even if no one’s watching.
Make something imperfect — and still be proud of yourself.
Work through resistance — and call that progress.
Let go of the myth that real work should always feel magical.
Be a maniac for momentum — not perfection.
Ask for help (including from me! 🙋🏻♂️)
You don’t need to feel ready.
You just need to start moving.
Consistency isn’t glamorous — but it’s how the best work gets born.
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See you next Tuesday!
Best,
-Josep