17 Browser Tabs and Still Can't Decide What to Work On?

🗞️ This Week’s Thought

Last month, I watched my four-year-old nephew spend twenty minutes building a tower out of Lego blocks, only to knock it down to make a “rocket ship immediately.”

There was no hesitation whatsoever.

He didn’t think about the time he spent building the tower, nor did he debate what he should do next.

It was just pure creative flow.

Yet here I am, having spent three days staring at my laptop, trying to decide whether to work on my fiction novel, start a new YouTube channel, or finally launch my Notion templates.

Believe me when I say it’s a tough decision because each one scratches my creative itch.

When did we start treating our creative passions as if they were competing for some imaginary title instead of simply coexisting?

🔗 The Stack

“Refuse to Choose” by Barbara Sher

A timeless, guilt-free guide on managing multiple interests, offering useful tips for multipotentialites.

“Range” by David Epstein

People who bash generalists must read this book for scientific evidence that generalists have advantages in our highly specialized world.

“The Polymath” by Waqas Ahmed

This book examines the historical context behind why having multiple interests isn’t a modern issue, but rather something intrinsic to human nature.

“Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport

The book may sound unrelated, but it teaches focus and how to be intentional with your attention when it comes to your creative pursuits.

“The Startup of You” by Reid Hoffman

This one will teach you how to manage your creative portfolio like an entrepreneur and stop cramming everything into traditional careers.

I have to give full credit to “Refuse to Choose” by Barbara Sher.

It was the first book I read from the list, and it completely opened my eyes to a world where a multipotentialite like me could thrive without having to choose just one path.

I can’t recommend it enough.

💡 One Way Forward

The Fun Filter Framework

Having multiple creative interests can be both a blessing and a curse.

Here’s the issue: it isn’t a lack of focus but rather not having a system to help us make choices.

Ever sit down at your desk, ready to start a project, and, before you know it, have seventeen tabs open in your browser?

When everything seems fun, but nothing gets done because you feel paralyzed trying to find the “perfect” option?

This is what I call creative quicksand—an endless loop where the more you try to choose, the deeper you fall.

I spent most of my twenties in creative quicksand.

I had more project ideas than I had time to pursue.

There was one in particular that kept bugging me: developing my first video game.

After spending months watching hundreds of hours of video tutorials, I felt ready to crack open Unity for the first time.

I opened the app and immediately froze.

Next thing you know, I’m spiraling until I close the program.

To this day, I haven’t opened Unity or any other game development application.

Watching my nephew zip from one project to another, I came up with what I like to call the Fun Filter, a method to help anyone transition from “I don’t know what to tackle next” all the way to “I will work on this for the next three weeks.”

The 4 Questions

1. The Spark Test: Does the idea give you goosebumps?

Having a good business idea or something you think would impress people isn’t enough.

When you imagine yourself working on the idea, do you get a feeling of excitement or a buzz?

Your body knows before your brain does.

2. The Stack Test: Can you build existing skills?

It’s not about staying “in your lane” forever but about keeping momentum.

Reinforcing what you already know while adding something new (60% familiar skills. The other 40% should be new learning) helps you make progress instead of starting from scratch each time.

3. The Scope Test: Can you make real progress in 2-3 weeks?

The keyword is real. Sure, completing all project-related tasks feels good.

However, the goal here is to achieve a concrete result, not just another box to check off.

You want something that offers value, such as a prototype, first draft, or even photos that you can share on social media, something that proves the idea has legs.

4. The Share Test: Would you be excited to share the result with someone?

Answering this question will help you choose between projects you think you need to do versus the ones you want to make.

If you can’t picture telling a friend about it, well, that’s your answer.

I implemented the Fun Filter on a recent project: an animated short film using Blender.

It passed three out of the four tests: Spark, Stack, and Share.

Unfortunately, it didn’t pass the Scope Test because it would have taken more than three weeks to produce something worthwhile.

Even posing characters for a still image would have taken a long time to get right.

So, I made the executive decision to shelve it until I had developed my animation skills, particularly in terms of the speed at which I animate.

How to Actually Use This:

List all your current project ideas and give each one a yes/no score after answering all four questions.

Count the number of yeses for your idea:

Ideas scoring 3-4 ‘yeses’ go into the active list.

Ideas with 1-2 ‘yeses’ go in the later pile.

Scoring zero ‘yeses’ means that said projects might not be as interesting to you as you initially thought.

If you have more than one project idea that passes the test, go with the one that gave you the strongest gut reaction during the Spark Test. Trust your gut, as they say.

This is what I did when I decided to build this newsletter.

Not only did Many Paths Weekly pass the Fun Filter, but it was the first time in a long time that I felt immediate confidence that I was on the right track, not to mention that I genuinely enjoy writing these posts.

Unfortunately, the Fun Filter won’t eliminate all decision fatigue.

But it will help you shift from endless planning to actual creation.

For some, that is what separates thriving multipotentialites from those who get stuck.

💬 Creative Capital 

The 5-Question Landing Page Test

You have a business idea—a product, service, or app—and you think it could work. The only problem is that you’re not sure if anyone would pay for it. 

Here’s the fastest way I’ve found to test an idea without building anything: the five-question landing page. 

Instead of spending months creating something nobody wants, spend one weekend answering these questions: 

1. What problem does this solve? Be specific. “Helps people be more productive” is too vague.

2. Who has this problem? Get granular. “Busy parents” is better than “everyone.”

3. How much would solving this be worth to them? $10? $100? $1000?

4. What’s the simplest version of your solution? Start with the core and skip the bells and whistles.

5. How will you reach these people? Where do they hang out online? 

Answering all of these questions should help you build a basic landing page.

After that, make sure to catch people’s attention by offering “early access.”

Social media, forums, and even cheap Facebook ads can help you gain 100-200 visitors.

I tested my Notion dashboard this way last year.

I received 47 signups from 180 visitors, resulting in a 26% conversion rate.

That told me I was onto something real.

If you have under 5% signups, either the idea is crude, or you need to find the right audience.

However, with 15% signups, you may be onto something that should be pursued further.

The best part is that this will only cost about $50 and take place over one weekend.

That’s a far cry from spending three months building something that doesn’t work.

📣 Tell a Friend

Want to help a friend who’s balancing several creative projects get some focus? Send them this issue!

Everyone does better when multipotentialites connect.

And you’ll be doing them a favor.

This stuff isn’t taught in school.

I love hearing about the creative chaos that you all are untangling.

Hit reply and tell me what you’re cooking up.

I take note of every email, and every so often, your tales spark ideas for future issues.

📊 Your Turn

I’m considering testing an accountability matching service for multipotentialites, pairing you with someone who understands the multi-project life and won’t judge your creative chaos.

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Many Paths Weekly is for creative, curious minds who want to explore multiple interests and turn them into a source of income.

Each week, we dive into tools, systems, and strategies for multipotentialites who refuse to pick just one lane.

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