Thinking about goals is overrated

It’s easy to fall into the overthinking trap. When you listen to the voices in your head that are not actually yours. The voices that tell you, “You suck!” The voices that make you doubt your every move, leaving you too paralyzed to even begin.

But I would go even further. And say that it’s easy to fall into the thinking trap. Let me explain.

Often, we rely on thinking our way to doing great work as a reliable crutch. We make plans, set goals, and do our research. We construct agendas for life. But thinking is merely a product of the content you consume, of the things you see on social media, of the narratives and false stories you’ve told yourself about your life.

How much of what you want to do is actually yours? How many of the goals you’ve set for yourself are “borrowed” from people you read online? How much of what you do on day-to-day is influenced by other people?

What’s more reliable is your emotional centre. Your core. That’s the essence of who you are as a person. Said plainly, it’s what you actually want to do. Your desires, emotions, feelings, needs — these things can be trusted.

Thinking? Not so much.

Let me give you a personal example. For a long time, I thought I wanted to make a media outlet about creativity. I would interview creative people, I thought, and I would write a weekly advice column about how to make the best content. Sounds exciting, right? And it does. This goal inspired me. But for many months…