The graveyard of good ideas

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Here’s an unspoken trick I used to make editing my own writing completely painless.

Have you ever written a paragraph you knew was holding you back, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to delete it? It feels like a betrayal. I used to get stuck for hours, anchored by a single sentence I’d worked so hard on.

This is commonly referred as the sunk cost fallacy. We continue doing things because of previously invested resources (like time or effort), even if it’s no longer the best decision. Talking about holding bags...

Then, I created the “For Later” file.

It’s a blank document where I copy and paste every word, sentence, or idea I don’t see fit—for now... Psychologically, this feels like saving it for another day.

The “For Later” file tricks your brain. It respects the effort you already put in, which lets you emotionally detach and judge the words for what they are, not for the time they took to write.

It’s a powerful example of how a simple mental model can solve a problem that feels big and emotional. If you liked this trick, you’ll love the other frameworks I use to write more effectively.

I share them daily on my newsletter Early Retired Club, if you would like to don’t miss any more click here.

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