Overthinking Is My Superpower
Give me a simple decision, and I’ll turn it into a 16-tab Google research project complete with expert opinions, a risk analysis, and a mild existential crisis.
I wish I were kidding.
I love a good plan. A detailed roadmap, a flawless timeline, a 10-step strategy that makes me feel like I have everything under control. I’ve spent hours crafting colour-coded spreadsheets, convinced that if I could just map everything out perfectly, I’d be guaranteed success.
But here’s what I’ve learned (the hard way): Big plans don’t get you where you want to go. Taking the next step does.
The Time I Got Stuck in "Planning Mode"
A few years ago, I had an idea for a creative project. I was excited. Motivated. Ready.
So I did what any responsible, organized person would do—I made a plan.
I bought a shiny new notebook, wrote down my goals, mapped out an elaborate timeline, and spent weeks researching every possible step.
And then… nothing.
Months went by. I had a beautiful plan, but I hadn’t actually done anything.
At first, I told myself I was being “strategic.” But really? I was stalling.
I was waiting to feel ready. I was afraid of making mistakes. I convinced myself I needed a perfect strategy before I could take action.
Meanwhile, the people who had just started without overthinking it? They were already making progress.
And me? I was still perfecting my to-do list.
(Which, by the way, was flawless. Did I do anything on it? No. But wow, did it look good.)
Why We Get Stuck in Planning Mode
I don’t think we stay stuck because we don’t know what to do. I think we stay stuck because we’re afraid.
- We think we need all the answers first. But clarity comes from doing, not from thinking about doing.
- We don’t want to make mistakes. But waiting until you’re “perfectly prepared” guarantees one thing: you’ll never start.
- We underestimate small steps. But a tiny, awkward, imperfect action is still infinitely more powerful than waiting for the perfect moment.
- We get overwhelmed. A huge goal feels impossible—but breaking it into one next step makes it manageable.
Big things don’t happen because we have flawless plans. They happen because, at some point, we say:
"Screw it. Let’s just start."
How I Finally Started Moving (Even When I Felt Stuck)
1. Shrinking the Timeline
The big-picture plan was overwhelming. So instead of asking, Where do I want to be in five years? I started asking, What’s one thing I can do today?
💡 Example:
When I wanted to write a book, the thought of 80,000 words was paralyzing. So instead of worrying about the entire thing, I told myself to write one sentence. Just one.
One turned into two. Then a paragraph. Then a page.
And just like that, I was writing.
2. Starting Before I Felt "Ready"
I kept waiting for a moment where I’d feel completely ready. It never came.
At some point, I realized that readiness isn’t a feeling—it’s a decision.
💡 Example:
The first time I launched a business, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t feel ready. But I bought the domain name, set up a basic website, and started before I had all the answers.
And somehow? I figured it out as I went.
(If I had waited, I’d probably still be Googling “how to start a business” instead of actually running one.)
3. Lowering the Bar
Sometimes, I make things way harder than they need to be.
For a long time, I told myself I couldn’t start a project until everything was perfect—which meant I wasn’t starting at all.
💡 Example:
I once convinced myself I couldn’t start designing something because I hadn’t picked the perfect font yet. Three hours later, I had 27 tabs open, zero progress, but an oddly deep understanding of Helvetica.
Now, I remind myself: Done is better than perfect.
4. Trusting That I’d Figure It Out
I used to think I needed to see the whole path before I could start. But looking back, most of the best things in my life happened because I took a leap—even when I had no clue what I was doing.
💡 Example:
Moving to a new city?
Starting a new job?
Jumping into something without knowing exactly how it would go?
I didn’t have all the answers at the beginning. But I figured it out because I started.
So now, when I catch myself waiting for the “perfect time” to begin, I remind myself:
👉 Waiting for the perfect time is like waiting for winter to not surprise you.
You know it’s coming. You know you need to be ready.
And yet, every year, somehow, you’re still shocked when the first snowfall happens.
5. Acting Before I Overthought It
The longer I waited, the harder it felt. But the second I took even the tiniest step, everything shifted.
💡 Example:
I told myself I’d start working on something. Next thing I knew, I had:
✅ Deep-cleaned my entire house
✅ Reorganized my books by colour
✅ Learned a new recipe I did not need to know
Productivity? Yes.
Progress? Not so much.
Now, when I catch myself procrastinating, I set a five-minute timer and just start. Even if it’s messy. Even if I don’t know where it’s going. Because once I start? It’s always easier to keep going.
Progress Isn’t Built in One Big Leap—It’s Built One Tiny Step at a Time
Most of the time, the next step isn’t huge. It’s not dramatic. It’s tiny. But those tiny steps add up.
If you’re waiting for the perfect plan before you start?
❌ Forget the plan.
✅ Just take the next step.
Want to Dive Deeper? Here Are Three Books and TED Talks That Helped Me Get Moving
📖 Books to Read:
- The Slight Edge – Jeff Olson
- The 5 Second Rule – Mel Robbins
- Start – Jon Acuff
🎥 TED Talks to Watch:
- "The First 20 Hours – How to Learn Anything" – Josh Kaufman
- "Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals" – Tim Ferriss
- "Try Something New for 30 Days" – Matt Cutts
What’s One Tiny Step You Can Take Today?
Because trust me—you don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to start.