Decision paralysis is not a data problem nor a knowledge problem; it's a fear problem. What keeps us frozen is the fear of regret. To escape decision paralysis, we need to treat past decisions like a great boss would: with patience, fairness, and belief in your growth.
In this post we share the mental model, dubbed the three-self framework: your past, present, and future selves, and show why being kind to your past self is what frees you to act.
HeroMode v7.3 is a visual refresh: a new app icon, a new splash screen, and a rebuilt app homepage. Our pixel-art knight on horseback has retired after four years of service. Instead, a sword-wielding checkbox has taken up the quest. More importantly, the release brings a new welcome flow for first-time heroes, helping them into the saddle quicker.
KOR Vocab: Korean Flashcards is now available in the Apple App Store! It's a flashcards app for learning Korean vocabulary, built with the same philosophy behind HeroMode: make progress in bite-sized pieces, celebrate the micro-wins, and keep the momentum going. If you are learning Korean, or have been meaning to start, we hope you'd give it a try!
HeroMode v7.1 moves points and stats calculations from your device to our servers. The result? A much leaner app that loads faster and won't slow down your browser or phone.
A few months ago, I wrote about clawing my way out of Piggy Debt. In that post, I shared charts showing my coin balance over time. I learned a couple of lessons in that exercise. First, data is motivating. Seeing my progress makes me want to do more. Second, it shouldn't have been that much work. I spent one full day pulling data manually, writing analysis script, and visualizing the trend.
Now, with HeroMode v7.0, you can see your Piggy Coins Trend directly in HeroMode!
I have been using HeroMode's Piggy Rewards System for a few years now, and I've started to notice a pattern. Well, it's actually quite an obvious pattern once you notice it. Every year, I rack up a lot of Piggy Debt around the holidays. And every year, after getting back to work, perhaps driven by guilt, perhaps driven by professionalism (why not both?), I slowly add back coins to my Piggy Bank. This year, it took me all the way until October to finally pay off my Piggy Debt! In honor of this 100% fictional (but motivating) financial milestone, I dug deeper into my productivity data.
Side projects can be rewarding but also very grueling. Finding time to work on them requires so much discipline.
I've been working on Checkbox Reader for the past two years. It's a simple app that keeps me motivated to read books by breaking down each book into checkboxes that can be completed a few minutes at a time. As you can see, motivation is very important to me!
Want to achieve your goals more effectively? The secret lies in understanding the difference between behavioral goals (the actions you take) and outcome goals (the results you want). While most people focus solely on outcomes, research shows that successful transformations often hinge on setting the right behavioral goals. Learn how to use both types of goals in HeroMode to maximize your chances of success!
Do you have New Year's resolutions? Have you ever felt the overwhelming challenge of sticking to them in previous years? Maybe try thinking about your resolutions in terms of adventures! HeroMode is here to keep you organized and motivated on your 2025 journey!
In the newly released HeroMode v6.16, available now on the web and iOS, we introduce Magic Assist. Magic Assist makes it even easier to create a new quest: you can enter any text into the quest body, and Magic Assist will automatically select the correct adventure and create checkboxes for you!
If you also use voice input on your phone like me, you can create a nicely structured quest with checkboxes without having to type anything!