TL;DR: Last week we learned how to smash ideas together to generate new ones. This week, I'll show you how to tear them apart.

Earlier this year I got diagnosed with severe ADHD. Getting smacked with that label at 32 means I've spent three decades my way through time and task management with white knuckles and a clenched jaw. It also means those hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars I burned on productivity books, courses, and coaches were mostly wasted. Turns out those systems are designed for neurotypical brains with functioning executive function and time perception — luxuries I never had.

Don't worry. Unlike 99% of the internet, I haven't made my ADHD diagnosis my entire personality — something I’m particularly proud of — and I'm not going to sell you my "neurospicy productivity system" either. I'm telling you this because somewhere along the way, before my shrink told me how impressed he was that I'd accomplished anything at all, given that I'm a time-blind, easily distracted son-of-a-bitch, I had a massive realization.

Overwhelmed by my overdue list, and tired of letting my ego get in the way, one day, I decided to split each task into its most manageable minimum. Baby tasks. "Clean room" became five separate tasks: hang clothes, organize night tables, wipe surfaces, vacuum floors, and mop. Same thing with "Write newsletter" — research, outline, draft, edit, cringe, etc.

This discovery wasn't a kiss of the muse. It was survival. And it worked.

In my desperation to keep up with life, I had stumbled into something bigger than a productivity hack. I'd discovered a creative thinking mode too often overlooked in our complexity-obsessed world: splitting.

The name says it all. Splitting is the process of deconstructing complex ideas and concepts into smaller, more manageable components. It's finding the seams in what looks seamless.

This form of creativity is particularly valuable in problem-solving because it lets you identify the underlying elements of a challenge and develop targeted strategies for each component. Instead of trying to wrestle an entire hydra at once, you're methodically addressing each head. A much more civilized — and elegant — approach.

Nine times out of ten, if you can't find a solution to your problem, it's beacause you're probably looking at many problems holding hands.

Here's what splitting gets you:

By examining each component individually, you can identify specific areas for improvement or innovation. This targeted approach leads to more effective and efficient solutions — not just throwing shit at the wall hoping something sticks.

Breaking things down forces you to examine each element in a structured manner. This methodical approach helps you avoid overlooking crucial details that always seem to bite you in the ass later.

When you deconstruct a problem into its constituent parts, you stop treating symptoms and start addressing causes. You're doing surgery, not slapping on a Band-Aid.

Complex problems are paralyzing. Smaller components are manageable. It's the difference between "fix my entire life" and "make your bed."

It gets better.

Most people have a one-dimensional view of creativity. They see it as a tool for artistic expression, but it's so much more than that. Creativity isn't just a tool for self-expression, it's a tool for self-improvement. Its primary purpose is to make your life more enjoyable. My favorite creative breakthroughs haven't been gorgeous conceptual photographs, revolutionary screenplays, or beautifully crafted prose — they've been minor improvements with massive impact in how I move through the world, from how I organize my kitchen to how I plan my days. That's where the real power of creativity lies, not on canvases, screens, or paper, but on making the day-to-day more beautiful, enjoyable, alive.

Splitting is the catalyst for those small, but powerful, breakthroughs.

But this isn't just therapy-speak or productivity porn. Splitting is so fundamental to how we solve problems that it's woven into the fabric of civilization itself. You've been benefiting from it your entire life without knowing it.

Splitting doesn't only help solve our personal problems; it is literally everywhere, hiding in plain sight, making the modern world go around:

Assembly lines: Henry Ford didn't just speed up car manufacturing — he split the process into discrete, specialized tasks. One person installs doors. Another installs wheels. Nobody has to know how to build an entire car, which would be overwhelming and inefficient. They just need to master their piece of the puzzle.

The Periodic Table: Dmitri Mendeleev took "matter" — this impossibly broad category — and split it by atomic structure and suddenly, chemistry made sense. Elements weren't just random substances. They were organized by properties and patterns. You could predict behavior and discover new elements before you even found them.

Modern Marketing: The evolution from broad industry targeting ("we sell to healthcare companies") to specific use-case targeting ("we solve patient scheduling for multi-location practices"). Same product split differently — now you're speaking directly to actual pain points instead of yelling into the void.

Splitting is for people who've realized most problems are just smaller problems holding hands.

By deconstructing challenges this way, you gain clearer perspective, identify specific improvement areas, and develop targeted solutions. You stop being paralyzed by the big picture and start making real progress on what actually matters.

Next week: We're exploring Figure Ground Reversal — because now that you know how to tear ideas apart, it's time to learn which pieces actually matter and which are just noise.

Until then, pick one overwhelming thing and split it. Your brain will thank you.

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Love,