How to Overcome Perfectionism and Start Creating with Jono Hey

What if a two-minute doodle could help you reduce stress, improve focus, and overcome perfectionism—without adding another task to your to-do list?

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca speaks with Jono Hey, creator of Sketchplanations, author of Big Ideas Little Pictures, and a UC Berkeley PhD. Jono has spent years turning complex ideas from psychology, science, and business into simple visual explanations followed by thousands of readers.

Together, they explore how doodling, drawing, and small creative experiments can sharpen focus, spark creativity, reduce anxiety, and help you make progress when perfectionism gets in the way.

Jono explains why treating each sketch as a low-pressure experiment, rather than a finished product, makes it easier to learn, build confidence, and develop a sustainable creative habit. He also shares practical techniques for using mind maps to organize your thoughts, manage mental overload, and make better use of short breaks between meetings.

If you've ever struggled with perfectionism, creative blocks, mental overload, or finding time for meaningful activities between back-to-back meetings, this conversation offers practical strategies you can put into action in just a few minutes.

What You'll Learn

• How to overcome perfectionism: Why treating each sketch as a small creative experiment, rather than aiming for perfection, speeds up learning and helps you build a lasting creative habit.
• How doodling can reduce stress and improve focus: How a few minutes of drawing can help you reset your attention and ease anxiety.
• How to use mind maps for time management: Turn your to-do list into a visual map to spot connections, organize priorities, and close open loops between meetings.
• How to use feedback to build confidence: Why asking for advice instead of a verdict makes feedback easier to act on.
• How to solve problems with creative thinking: Use the idea of a third option to move beyond binary thinking and find better solutions to everyday time-management challenges.

If you want to overcome perfectionism, improve focus, build creative habits, and make better use of your micromoments, this episode offers practical, drawing-based strategies to help you get started without waiting for the perfect time.

Timestamps

00:01:42 — Treating Each Sketch as a Small Creative Experiment
00:03:46 — Using Doodling to Reduce Anxiety and Boost Focus
00:06:24 — Using Mind Maps to Prioritize and Close Open Loops
00:11:59 — Framing Feedback as a Gift to Build Confidence
00:24:32 — Finding a Third Option Instead of Binary Thinking

Connect with Jono

Website: https://sketchplanations.com/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jonohey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchplanations/

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