paralysis by analysis
Starting a new project should feel enjoyable, even exhilarating, but is often not. Not because the idea feels too ambitious or beyond our current abilities, but because we overthink it to death.
I learned there is a phrase for this: analysis paralysis, where the excessive deliberation, endless circling of options, and obsessive weighing of outcomes debilitate us from taking any productive action.
The logic does sound convincing. Why do you think most people never start what they've been putting off? If I just think this through further, I will be more prepared. You delude yourself that you're "careful" about your next steps, while, in reality, you're dodging the discomfort of starting (Because starting means risking failure, imperfection, and not knowing everything in advance. This is the root of analysis paralysis).
So you retreat into overthinking, because, after all, it feels safer than doing. The ceaseless mental rehearsal also feigns productivity and gives us the illusion of control. But that’s avoidance in disguise. Thinking is not doing. Preparation mutates into procrastination, and no amount of overthinking will ever conjure the perfect plan.
The solution? Action itself. Momentum, the 1% progress, will teach you more than ceaseless speculation ever could. You'll never think your way into complete certainty, but you can act your way into progress.
The first attempt will be very damn messy, but mess carries useful information. It gives you something to refine, to work with, instead of just something to worry about. The only wrong choice is never choosing at all.