We don’t need perfection. We need to move forward. There is a 100% chance that you will never get the whole picture and every detail. The longer you wait and plan, the more things change and the less you know.

A couple of examples of overthinking

New year, new you – let’s get in shape.

You pick a sport you are interested in, let’s say biking. You start researching what bicycle to buy. You want to get the best piece of equipment you can afford. A week passes by and you still haven’t decided which one to buy, but you let it go and pick the one you think will fit you the best. Now it is time to pick accessories. Boy, there are tons of them that will make your workout/commute better, safer and more fun. A week passes by, you know that you need to get proper workout clothes. There are tons, a week passes by. What app should you use to track your progress, a week passes by…

You’ve spent at least 3 weeks preparing for the thing you wanted to do. Not ideal, you overthought it. What you could do instead was get a second-hand bike or rent one and start working out.

I want to quit my job and start a side project

You know yourself (ideal situation) and know what you are skillful at. Let’s say marketing. You begin researching if you need to open a company or you can do it as a contractor. Then you move further to set up all the tools you need to run the project. You end up testing, reading, and ditching app after app. You want to have the best toolkit you can get and be the most productive you can be.

Time flies, to quit your job and start the project you know that you need to be profitable. What you ended up doing was overthinking HOW to start and not actually start. What you could do instead was make a list of companies you think you can help and reach out to them.

Overthinking is the enemy of action. Act now, adapt in the process.

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