Things I'm Thinking About

Exploring how structure takes shape in everyday experiences and quiet realizations

Our original name for the blog was Can I Just Build a Spreadsheet First because that is how I organize my thoughts. It is something of a personal mantra, and because I actually hear myself say it out loud when I need to make sense of something, it became the natural starting point for capturing ideas that needed a place to land.

 

With time, I realized the spreadsheet is not the structure itself. It is the foundation that lets structure take shape. It is where ideas begin to sort and stretch, connecting and reshaping until they start to build on one another. What grew from that process, the space where those connections continue to evolve into something larger and more layered, was always present. Now it simply has its place at the front.

Welcome to Things I Am Thinking About.

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AI in Context: What Matters Isn't the Tool, It's How We Use It
People fear AI. Some of that fear is rational; some of it is not. The speed of change feels disorienting, and when the rules have not caught up, imagination fills in the blanks. I understand that instinct....
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Blog Rhythm Reset: Realigning My Energy Without Starting Over
Part of the “Why and How I Started a Blog” series. Me and My Blog Had a Little Talk… I sat down to work on a post the other day and realized I was already tired, and I hadn’t...
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Rethinking Mind Maps: What Finally Made Them Work for My Brain
I always wanted to love mind maps. The idea of rethinking mind maps — using them as creative, intuitive tools — should have been perfect for how my brain works. And yet, every time I tried...
Futuristic mirrored female faces representing current and future self
It Might Be Overkill Now...But Future Me Will Thank Me
The Next Step After Defining My Blog Philosophy Now that I had shaped my blog philosophy, the next step was planning the structure. I know myself. There’s a good chance this blog will evolve into...
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From Instinct to Intentionality: How a Fourth-Grade Budget Taught Me to Think in Envelopes
Part Two of the Planning as Invitation series — stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. If you looked at my folders today — digital spreadsheets, color-coded...
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The Pigeonhole Paradox
Part of the “Why and How I Started a Blog” series. Grandpa Munks wasn’t my grandfather by blood, but he was family. He rented a house to my parents when they were starting out, and somewhere...
Colored pencil resting on a spreadsheet—symbolizing why I start with a spreadsheet for planning clarity.
How I Bring Order to Chaos (Hint: It's a Spreadsheet)
Part One of the Planning as Invitation series — stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. When something new lands on my plate, whether it is a trip, a home project,...
How to start a blog – flatlay with pink flowers, open notebook, and coffee cup on a white desk
How to Start a Blog: Planning, Personalizing, and Publishing
More Than Just “Pick a Platform” Starting a blog is often painted as a quick-and-easy task: pick a platform, choose a name, start writing. But for me, how to start a blog wasn’t just...
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The Whiteboard Squirrel Manifesto: A Blog Without a Niche
Where This Blog Really Started This blog didn’t start with a niche. It was always meant to be a blog without one. It started with a brain that wouldn’t shut off. I wasn’t trying to go...
A soft-focus photo of a monthly calendar, representing building a blog post queue and planning ahead with breathing room
Why I Need a Blog Post Queue (and Maybe You Do Too)
Let me start with a confession: I haven’t posted a single thing on this blog yet, even though I’ve been building a blog post queue for months. Not because I haven’t been working. Quite...
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