Pin

Many apps have a “Pin” feature, which I frequently use in Google Keep and WeRead.

I use Google Keep for temporary notes. When I come across an interesting quote while reading, have a sudden idea during a meeting, or hear an intriguing thought from a friend, I quickly jot down a few words. Later, when I have time, I review these notes—deleting those that no longer seem relevant, or expanding and archiving others that warrant further development. The notes I pin are usually those I consider important and want to address within a day or two.

I read books using WeRead (an app far superior to Kindle). When friends recommend good books, or when reading one book leads me to search for or ask AI about related topics, sparking interest in second or third books, I collect these books of current interest and add them to my bookshelf. The books I pin are those I intend to read shortly.

However, over time, I’ve found myself misusing the pinning feature in both apps—accumulating so many pinned items that what started as a way to prioritize has become necessary to see them.

So, during this holiday, I decided to declutter.

For Google Keep, I leave items unpinned by default, and if I pin something, I complete it that day. For WeRead, I limit myself to pinning four books at a time—adding a new one means removing another. This restores the original purpose of pinning.

Reducing pinned items is an exercise in subtraction.

These two small examples perfectly illustrate how “wanting to do too much” can lead to difficulties. Many of my proactive friends, myself included, often encounter this problem. Usually, our abilities aren’t sufficient to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Therefore, although I have many things I want to do, it’s crucial to reconsider and carefully prioritize what’s truly important.