Stop Overthinking, Start Executing

Someone can create an idea, have a dream of what to do, then they will think and keep thinking, but at the end, it is not thoughts alone that get the job done, but you have to empower it with the necessary action for it to deliver, starting with taking the first step. No matter the brilliance of your thought, it does not substitute execution. Someone that takes a step even though it may not be perfect and may be flawed, is still better than someone who has a "perfect" thought but without executing it. This is why you have to stop overthinking, and then start executing.

A friend of mine once came to me and told me how he has been nursing a particular idea for almost a year. He wanted to go into poultry business. He watched some online videos, gathered extensive information about the business. Yet he was still waiting for the "perfect time" to start. This waiting kept him stuck with just thoughts for almost 1 year. I simply advised him that there is no amount of waiting that will bring him the perfect time. I told him to start with what he has. He then took a step, even though it was flawed, but he learnt from his mistakes. He started growing. At this point, he has sold over 300 of his fowls with some good profits. If he did not act but just kept thinking, he would have missed out of the opportunity to make money from the business.

Overthinking is one of the most common obstacles to progress. You will be surprised how lots of people have great ideas, great ambitions, clear goals, yet they remain stuck in the same place, not because they do not have talents or abilities, but because they spend a lot of time thinking, and less time acting. The results you seek will not jump out directly from your thoughts, they will come from the actions you have empowered your thoughts with. It is true that thinking is very important, at least for planning and decision making, but excessive thinking can become a trap if not checked. At some points, you need to stop overthinking, and start to take actions and steps.

Some people easily mistake overthinking for preparation. They will waste their time waiting for the perfect moment, gathering extensive information, trying to avoid mistakes, and trying to fine-tune things. But what they fail to understand is that they are already avoiding actions which may be as a result of fear, which can include fear of uncertainty, fear of unknown, fear of failure, fear of criticism, etc. The longer you stay in your head, the more doubts you will begin to create, which can ultimately make it difficult to take the first step. Do not allow too much thoughts to stagnate you from making a move.

It is worthy to note that it is execution that will turn your ideas into reality. It does not matter how mind-blowing your ideas are, they will be nothing without actions. Imagine someone who wants to learn how to swim, but keeps watching YouTube videos on swimming, and cramming principles. But without entering the water, he will not learn how to swim. It is when you start executing that you will learn more things that thinking alone cannot teach you. It will make you to discover what works, what does not work, what needs to be improved, and the new processes to follow. You learn more by doing than by just thinking.

Starting does not require perfection. In fact, you do not have to figure out everything first before you take your first step. Some people even start without having a complete knowledge of what they want to do, nor the perfect condition, but it did not stop them from achieving greatness. Just start, you will learn along the way, then you will adjust, adapt, evolve, and become better. If you keep waiting until everything is perfect, you may never start at all. But when you take the first step, you will build the confidence for the next step, and before you know it, you will see yourself taking some giant strides.

Thanks for reading