Disclaimer:  Thinking less can be dangerous and must be used wisely, serious action may occur.  Not advised while driving, with credit cards, or taking exams.

Why can it be so hard to take action?  Is it fear of failure that paralyzes us, or perhaps laziness?  I am not one to think of myself as neither fearful of mistakes nor lazy, yet at times I can find it difficult to take hold of a goal and take immediate action towards the fulfillment of that goal.  As odd as it sounds, I would advise myself to do less thinking and more doing.

Action starts with conscious thought.  Physically, we must think, before we act.  But can we think too much?  Growing up, undoubtedly we have all heard that we must “think before we speak” and to “think about the consequences of our actions” before acting on them.   But for some, we can think “too” much before we act.  Over-thinking our actions can paralyze us into inaction.

In his blog post, Task Ninja: Form the Action Habit, Leo Babauta advises to;

“Stop thinking so much. Thinking is a good thing. Overthinking isn’t, and it gets in the way. Put aside all the thinking (analysis paralysis) and just do.”

Lesson Learned: Stop thinking so much. Don’t wait until tomorrow or until the goal or plan are crystal clear. Get out there and do something.  Trust your intuition and take chances.

Update (2/20): Just before posting this, I happened to find a great post I would recommend reading. Check it out; Is Analysis Paralysis Stopping You from Taking Action?, Vincent offers 7 Tips for combating the Over-thinking virus.