Action Trumps Overthinking
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How a Bruce Lee quote reminds me that progress beats contemplation.
The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders.
Bruce Lee was more than a martial artist, cultural icon, and movie star. He was also a student of life and a purveyor of wisdom.
One of his quotes sticks in my mind like a scientific formula that I memorized for a high school midterm.
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
I have treated this Bruce Lee quote like it’s a law of physics for my life goals.
Each endeavor begins with a thought. But if all I do is think, I will never take that idea from conception to completion.
I have ridden the analysis paralysis roller coaster countless times. But just because I’ve been a frequent rider doesn’t mean I’d recommend it. A brilliant idea arrives but then overthinking follows, pushing me into a cycle of oscillating motivation that inevitably tosses water onto my initial fire.
Often it is better to inch forward towards an idea instead of hanging back and analyzing things from a distance.
No, I am not endorsing attacking goals with blind recklessness. I always should try to utilize some common sense. But daydreaming about the finish line without acting will not move me any closer to it.
I can examine something for eternity but never identify all the hidden variables or predict all the pitfalls. No amount of perfectionist-based preparation will ready me to challenge the unknown.
Risk inherently feels awkward and uncertain. That’s why people call it leaving the comfort zone — it is not supposed to feel warm like a security blanket. That uneasy feeling represents the growth that I need to experience so I can reduce the gap between my current identity and future self.
I must embrace this anxiety, or at a minimum, lean towards it.