Thinking too hard can be one of the most dangerous things you can do.
This might sound a little strange…
Because thinking is usually how we get ahead…
So let me explain.
I watched the new Top Gun a few nights ago.
One of Maverick’s favourite phrases is “Don’t think, just do”…
(although I think Maverick stole this from the Roman poet Horace).
Now, when you’re in a fighter jet…
Flying hundreds of miles an hour…
Thinking too much could be the difference between life and death.
So instinct and intuition play a crucial role.
But I think the same is also true more widely.
One example is these daily emails.
I write them because I enjoy it…
It’s a good way to build trust…
And hopefully there’s a useful nugget or two as well.
But if I think about it too much, I know doubts will start to creep in…
Like “What’s the bigger picture”? or “How will these emails make any money?”
And to be completely honest…
I don’t have answers to these questions right now.
There’s lots of ways it could go.
I could always re-purpose the emails to blog posts…
Or maybe another book.
The emails are a good way to sell products…
Or strike affiliate deals to sell someone else’s products.
At some point the emails could be sponsored…
Or maybe include an ad or two.
I don’t want to do any of these things right now…
But they’re all possibilities for the future.
Or I could just keep doing what I’m doing…
And write the emails for fun.
The thing is…
I know if I think about it now, it will take up too much brain power…
(especially when there are other more important things to focus on)
And not being clear on my plan might mean I stop writing them altogether.
So that’s why I’m following Maverick’s advice – “Don’t think, just do”.
Because the truth is…
We can sometimes spend too long thinking and not doing...
And thinking too much can stop us doing what we really want to do.
So even though we don’t have something completely figured out…
That can actually be an advantage.
Does this resonate at all?
On that note…
I’m going to wrap this up…
And go for a run.
Have a good Wednesday.
- Tom