An extra note for my audiobook listeners: Rather than reading out the footnote sources in this and slowing the book down, I’m including them here on a static page so you can always check and always see what those sources are without interrupting the flow of listening.

May you never stop learning and never stop growing!

Part One: Re-Definitions

Chapter One: Permission to Do It Wrong

^∗ Goulet-Pelletier JC, Gaudreau P, Cousineau D. Is perfectionism a killer of creative thinking? A test of the model of excellencism and perfectionism. Br J Psychol. 2022 Feb;113(1):176-207. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12530. Epub 2021 Sep 1. PMID: 34472100.

^∗ Gao, Y., & Zhang, H. (n.d.). Unconscious processing modulates creative problem solving: Evidence from an electrophysiological study. Gao Y, Zhang H. Unconscious processing modulates creative problem solving: evidence from an electrophysiological study. Conscious Cogn. 2014 May;26:64-73. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2014.03.001. Epub 2014 Mar 24. PMID: 24674758.

^∗ Ritter SM and Dijksterhuis A (2014) Creativity—the unconscious foundations of the incubation period. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 8:215. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00215, emphasis added. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00215/full.

Chapter Two: Habits

^∗ Bonchek, Mark. “Why The Problem With Learning Is Unlearning,” emphasis added. Harvard Business Review, 21 Apr. 2017, hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning.

^∗ Mendelsohn, Alana. “Creatures of Habit: The Neuroscience of Habit and Purposeful Behavior.” Biological Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 June 2019, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6701929/.

^∗ Graybiel, Ann M., and Kyle S. Smith. “How The Brain Makes and Breaks Habits.” Scientific American, 21 Jul. 2014, www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-brain-makes-and-breaks-habits.

^∗ Chen, Quanjing, et al. “Autonomic Flexibility Reflects Learning and Associated Neuroplasticity in Old Age.” Human Brain Mapping, 08 Jun. 2020, doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25034.

Chapter Three: What If?

^∗ Byrne, R. M. J. (2016). Counterfactual Thought. Annual Review of Psychology, 67(1), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033249.

^∗ Tao, W., Zhao, D., Yue, H., Horton, I., Tian, X., Xu, Z., & Sun, H.-J. (2022). The Influence of Growth Mindset on the Mental Health and Life Events of College Students. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.821206.

Chapter Four: Finding Your “Why”

N/A

Chapter Five: Identity

^∗ Simons, J. D. (2021). From Identity to Enaction: Identity Behavior Theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.679490.

^∗ Gupta, Sanjana. “Why Identity Matters and How It Shapes Us.” Verywell Mind. 30 May 2023, www.verywellmind.com/why-identity-matters-and-how-it-shapes-us-7504546.

^∗ Why Should You Talk to Yourself? (2021). Psychology Today. https://psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-clarity/202103/why-should-you-talk-yourself.

Chapter Six: Failure

^∗ Mendelsohn AI. Creatures of Habit: The Neuroscience of Habit and Purposeful Behavior. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Jun 1;85(11):e49-e51. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.978. PMID: 31122343; PMCID: PMC6701929.

^∗ warphotography. “Ira Glass on Storytelling 3.” YouTube, 11 Jul. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2wLP0izeJE.

^∗ Torre, J. B., & Lieberman, M. D. (2018). Putting Feelings Into Words: Affect Labeling as Implicit Emotion Regulation. Emotion Review, 10(2), 116-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073917742706 (Original work published 2018)

Chapter Seven: Editing

^∗ Diane. (2015, November 10). Dominick Dunne: Before He Was A Journalist – Diane Capri. Diane Capri – Licensed to Thrill. https://dianecapri.com/2015/11/dominick-dunne-before-he-was-a-journalist/

^∗ Jarmolowicz, D. P., Bickel, W. K., Sofis, M. J., Hatz, L. E., & Mueller, E. T. (2016). Sunk costs, psychological symptomology, and help seeking. SpringerPlus, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-3402-z

Chapter Eight: Imposter Syndrome

^∗ Huecker MR, Shreffler J, McKeny PT, et al. Imposter Phenomenon, emphasis added. [Updated 2023 Jul 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585058/

^∗ Lewis, T. (2015, September 13). Robert Pattinson: “I’m definitely very confused.” The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/13/robert-pattinson-james-dean-film

^∗ Feigofsky, Suzanne. “Imposter Syndrome.” HeartRhythm Case Reports, vol. 8, no. 12, 1 Dec. 2022, pp. 861–862, www.heartrhythmcasereports.com/article/S2214-0271(22)00221-4/fulltext, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrcr.2022.11.001.

Chapter Nine: Expectations

^∗ Höpfner J and Keith N (2021) Goal Missed, Self Hit: Goal-Setting, Goal-Failure, and Their Affective, Motivational, and Behavioral Consequences. Front. Psychol. 12:704790. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.704790

^∗ Jones, N. P., Papadakis, A. A., Orr, C. A., & Strauman, T. J. (2013). Cognitive Processes in Response to Goal Failure: A Study of Ruminative Thought and its Affective Consequences. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 32(5), 482–503. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2013.32.5.482

^∗ Wang, W., Li, J., Sun, G. et al. Achievement goals and life satisfaction: the mediating role of perception of successful agency and the moderating role of emotion reappraisal.Psicol. Refl. Crít. 30, 25 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-017-0078-4

Chapter Ten: Filling the Well

^∗ Filling the Well | Julia Cameron Live. (n.d.). Juliacameronlive.com. https://juliacameronlive.com/2012/08/17/filling-the-well/

^∗ White, J. (2016). Talking on the water : conversations about nature and creativity., emphasis mine. Trinity University Press.

^∗ Magsamen S. Your Brain on Art: The Case for Neuroaesthetics. Cerebrum. 2019 Jul 1;2019:cer-07-19. PMID: 32206171; PMCID: PMC7075503.

^∗ Kumar, Vinay; Pavitra, KS1; Bhattacharya, Rahul2. Creative pursuits for mental health and well-being. Indian Journal of Psychiatry 66(Suppl 2):p S283-S303, January 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_781_23

^∗ Cameron, J. (2002). The Artist’s Way : 25th Anniversary Edition, p. 36. Penguin Publishing Group.

Part Two: Practical Application

Chapter Eleven: Day One

N/A

Chapter Twelve: Regret

^∗ Rutledge JA, Williams JD and Barlow MA (2024) The relationship between life regrets and well-being: a systematic review, emphasis added. Front. Psychol. 15:1515373. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1515373

^∗ Roese NJ, Summerville A. What we regret most… and why. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2005 Sep;31(9):1273-85. doi: 10.1177/0146167205274693. PMID: 16055646; PMCID: PMC2394712.

^∗ Rutledge JA, Williams JD, Barlow MA. The relationship between life regrets and well-being: a systematic review, emphasis added. Front Psychol. 2024 Dec 19;15:1515373. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1515373. PMID: 39749269; PMCID: PMC11694412.

^∗ Muhammad Tuhin. (2025, June 23). The Neuroscience of Regret: Why It Haunts Us. Science News Today. https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/the-neuroscience-of-regret-why-it-haunts-us

^∗ Gao H, Zhang Y, Wang F, Xu Y, Hong YY, Jiang J. Regret causes ego-depletion and finding benefits in the regrettable events alleviates ego-depletion. J Gen Psychol. 2014;141(3):169-206. doi: 10.1080/00221309.2014.884053. PMID: 24940811.

^∗ Roese NJ, Summerville A. What we regret most… and why. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2005 Sep;31(9):1273-85. doi: 10.1177/0146167205274693. PMID: 16055646; PMCID: PMC2394712.

^∗ Reeck C, LaBar KS. Reining in regret: emotion regulation modulates regret in decision making. Cogn Emot. 2024 Dec;38(8):1368-1375. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2357847. Epub 2024 Jun 4. PMID: 38832896.

^∗ No regrets: New Temple study shows how to reimagine past feelings of regret. (2024). Office of the Vice President for Research. https://research.temple.edu/news/2024/08/no-regrets-new-temple-study-shows-how-reimagine-past-feelings-regret

Chapter Thirteen: On Burnout

^∗ Leddy, PA-C, MMSc, M. (2022). Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Recognizing Burnout and Simple Tips to Start Feeling Better. Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology, 13(3), 209–212. https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2022.13.3.5

^∗ Edú-Valsania, S., Laguía, A., & Moriano, J. A. (2022). Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1780. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031780

^∗ Edú-Valsania S, Laguía A, Moriano JA. Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 4;19(3):1780. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031780. PMID: 35162802; PMCID: PMC8834764.

^∗ Abedini, N. C., Stack, S. W., Goodman, J. L., & Steinberg, K. P. (2018). “It’s Not Just Time Off”: A Framework for Understanding Factors Promoting Recovery From Burnout Among Internal Medicine Residents. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 10(1), 26–32. https://doi.org/10.4300/jgme-d-17-00440.1

^∗ Aronsson, I., Neely, A. S., Boraxbekk, C.-J., Eskilsson, T., & Gavelin, H. M. (2024). “Recovery activities are needed every step of the way”—exploring the process of long-term recovery in people previously diagnosed with exhaustion disorder. BMC Psychology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01756-z

Chapter Fourteen: Excuses

N/A

Chapter Fifteen: A Note on Generative AI

^∗ Dergaa I, Ben Saad H, Glenn JM, Amamou B, Ben Aissa M, Guelmami N, Fekih-Romdhane F and Chamari K (2024) From tools to threats: a reflection on the impact of artificial-intelligence chatbots on cognitive health. Front. Psychol. 15:1259845. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1259845

^∗ Sternberg, R. J. (2024). Do Not Worry That Generative AI May Compromise Human Creativity or Intelligence in the Future: It Already Has. Journal of Intelligence, 12(7), 69–69. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12070069

Chapter Sixteen: What Comes Next

^∗ Award-winning author J.M. Frey, personal conversation in May, 2024

^∗ Martino, J., Pegg, J., & Frates, E. P. (2015). The Connection Prescription: Using the Power of Social Interactions and the Deep Desire for Connectedness to Empower Health and Wellness. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11(6), 466–475. https://doi.org/10.1177/155982761560878888

Chapter Seventeen: The Two-Rule Recovery Manifesto

^∗ Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Manifesto. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manifesto