Taking the Next Step

I often think about how weird walking is.

Hear me out—at some point early on in our lives, we figure out how to stand on two legs without falling, and then begin moving them in succession as a means of transportation. And then…that’s it.

Once we learn how to walk, our brains no longer need to think about each step. The steps just start happening. The other day, I was walking down the stairs and this thought crossed my mind and it took me for quite the ride. I began overthinking every step, making sure I don’t trip and break every bone in my body on the way down. The problem is that when you start overthinking the simple things, the more likely you are to make a mistake. And because I was overthinking, I was waaaayyy more likely to try and move slowly, lean forward too much while holding the railing with my hands all sweaty (Mom’s spaghetti) and failing to get a grip, thus leading to this humpty dumpty having a great fall.

I fell down the stairs, and this guy just wanted a picture of me. I said “only if I can take a pic of you, too. But also, like, please call me an ambulance.” Nice guy. His name is Erik. We’re getting fro-yo next week.

Overthinking is something that holds us back in all walks of life. The more time you spend thinking, the less time you spend doing.

I, like many others, suffer from bouts of anxiety. One minute I’ll be having a great time, on a roll without a care in the world. Then I’ll feel one thing out of the ordinary—a stomach cramp, headache, or maybe a small rash—and then everything gets turned upside down.

I start going through a rolodex of possible causes in my head, spinning these cards and glancing at each one, convincing myself that they’re all a culprit for a variety of reasons. In reality, I’m fine. There is no pressing issue that has my life at stake. It just feels like it because my brain feels the need to try and connect all the dots so badly, that it draws a pattern that’s not even there.

Overthinking can cause a lot of stress. Take this guy, for instance. He’s probably thinking too much about why he bought those ugly ass shoes.

I’m not qualified to diagnose anyone with anxiety, but I think I can safely say that each one of us has something we feel anxious about at some point. And that feeling holds us back from enjoying life the way we want.

Whether it’s being afraid to eat a piece of cake because it has too many calories, or afraid of pursuing a goal because you’re too this or that, or even general self-doubt, it all manifests from thinking too much. We become overly cautious to protect ourselves from a danger that may not even be present.

This time last year, I was depressed. There’s no other way to classify that. I dreaded going to work every morning. I had a long drive that felt dangerous. I worked for a good company, but I was doing something I really didn’t want to be doing. As my life was progressing, I was beginning to realize that the professional aspect of my life was not giving me the satisfaction I needed. I knew I was capable of more, but I was afraid to try. I was underachieving, and it was eating away at me each day.

Then, I said fuck it.

My dream job had an opening. I had seen the job listing about a month prior and thought to myself “that’s not my life now…that ship has sailed”. I created reasons in my head on why I wasn’t qualified or shouldn’t go for it, and I didn’t go for it that first time.

But when I saw that listing again for a second time, I knew it was a sign. I had to stop overthinking and start doing.

I spent hours and hours perfecting my resumé and cover letter. When they showed interest and asked for writing samples, I spent hours on those, too. When they wanted to do a video interview, I dressed up fancier than normal to my job, took a long lunch, went to the local library and used their free wi-fi to get it done. For follow-up interviews, I made sure I put my time and my dreams ahead of the pressures of my then-employer. I was all in.

Here’s that resumé I worked so hard on. As you can see, things are looking up!

It’s because of that doing, and not overthinking, that I have the life I have today. If I had continued to overthink every aspect of my life, I wouldn’t be married to my best friend, I wouldn’t have my dream job, and I’d still be depressed about where I was heading.

I don’t know what’s happening in your life. I don’t know the struggles you go through day-in and day-out. I don’t know what your goals are.

With that being said, go after everything you want with everything you’ve got. There will always be reasons to not do something. Your happiness and well-being should outweigh those reasons. If they don’t, then you probably don’t want it.

I’ll end with this: think about the thing in your life you want more than anything—that one goal that makes you smile and feel complete. Keep that vision in your head at all times, and start doing. You’ll realize that with every step you take, you’ll be a step closer to that end goal without even thinking about it. You don’t have to sprint—it’s not a race. Just take a brisk walk and eventually you’ll reach your goal at your own pace. Get out of your own head, and into your own life.

It’s the greatest walk I’ve ever taken.