Stop Obsessing Over the Future: Do the Damn Thing Now
We’re living in a time of endless convenience—and endless decision fatigue. With everything from dinner to dopamine hits available at the tap of a screen, you’d think life would feel simpler. But instead, most of us feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, and under-fulfilled.
I’m all for simplifying life. Streamlining where we can. Reducing friction so we can actually build the lives we want to lead—not just coast through the ones we’re stuck with.
And yet, we overthink. We over-plan. We get stuck in our own heads trying to “figure everything out.” Sound familiar?
The Paralysis of Modern Life
Modern life is anything but simple.
Sure, we’ve got Deliveroo, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. But with a massive buffet of choice comes the dread of picking the “wrong” thing. I’ve genuinely walked out of bookshops empty-handed more than once—not because nothing caught my eye, but because everything did. Committing to one book meant saying no to all the others.
That same fear of choosing “wrong” often creeps into bigger decisions: career shifts, creative projects, even hobbies. It paralyses us. And if we’re not frozen by choice, we’re crushed by the weight of the world—the non-stop news cycle feeding our anxiety, reminding us of everything we can’t control.
I honestly believe lives are being lost—not in the literal sense, but in potential—while people stare into screens, outraged or overwhelmed, as their dreams quietly circle the drain.
What’s Actually Getting in Our Way?
On my daily dog walks, I often listen to guided meditations. One of them offers this powerful insight:
“Living in the past brings the energy of depression.
Living in the future brings the energy of anxiety.”
And I realised: that’s exactly it.
I don’t tend to dwell on the past, but I definitely overthink the future. To the point where I can’t even start a project—or crack open a promising book—because I’m already catastrophising about what might happen next.
Will it be good enough? Will it lead anywhere? What if it’s a waste of time?
Spoiler: thinking like this is the waste of time.
Two Great Resources That Landed in My Lap
As often happens when a topic starts to haunt my thoughts, the universe (or my Reticular Activating System) serves me more content to feed the fire.
Some recent insights came from:
📘 Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill — a conversation between Hill and “The Devil,” revealing how fear, procrastination, and overthinking sabotage success. It was written in 1938 but stayed unpublished until 2011!
🎥 How to Actually Destroy Procrastination in 5 Minutes — a super-practical video that hammers home the point:
Focus on the process, not the results.
How to Simplify Your Life (Without Waiting for It to Get Easier)
Here’s a practical framework to stop obsessing about the future so you can actually make progress today:
Choose a goal—personal, professional, whatever.
Make it SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Break it down into manageable steps.
Don’t overanalyse. Choose a path forward based on what you know now. There is no perfect plan.
Take action—one step at a time.
Celebrate effort, not outcome.
Observe the results without judgment.
Adjust as needed. Treat failure as data, not doom.
That’s it. Simple. Not always easy—but absolutely doable.
So, What’s the One Thing You Can Do Today?
Ask yourself this: What’s one small thing I’ve been putting off because I’m scared of what might happen next?
Now—go do that thing. Don’t wait for clarity. Clarity comes through action, not before it.
You already know enough. You’re already enough.
I’d love to hear from you: What’s one decision or project you’ve been overthinking lately? Hit reply or leave a comment—I read every one.
And if this hit home, come join my Substack crew at Reboot & Rise where I share practical ways to stop spinning and start moving forward—especially if you’re an over-thinker like me.