Why I Get Stuck in My Head And Don’t Take Action | EP34

Have you ever planned something in your head… so many times… that you felt like you already did it?

In this episode, I share a pattern I’ve been noticing in myself— overthinking everything before taking action. And in the process… using up all my energy before I even begin.

This episode explores the deeper reason behind overthinking— the need for control, safety, and certainty. Because maybe you’re not lazy. Maybe you’re just trying to protect yourself.

And maybe the goal is not to think less, but to trust more. To take one small step— before your mind talks you out of it. Because you don’t have to think it through perfectly to begin. You just have to begin.

Transcript

How I Met Jesus — Episode 34

Why I Get Stuck in My Head And Don’t Take Action

Hi, this is Elena.

Welcome back to How I Met Jesus.

Lately, I’ve been noticing something about myself. Before I do almost anything… big or small…I think about it. A lot.

Not just once. But over and over again. I play it out in my head. What might happen.  What could go wrong. How people might respond. Sometimes, I even imagine how I would feel after it’s done. And by the time I finish thinking…I feel tired. And sometimes…I don’t even do it anymore.

And I realized that most of the things I was reacting to…weren’t even real. They were just scenarios I created in my mind. Based on my past experiences. My fears. My assumptions. But not reality.

For a long time, I thought I was just being careful. That I was thinking things through. Trying to make better decisions. But now…I’m starting to see it differently. I wasn’t being careful. I was stuck. Stuck in my head.

Because when I look deeper…I can see what I was really trying to do. I was trying to control the outcome. If I think through everything…maybe I won’t fail. If I prepare enough…maybe I won’t get hurt. If I imagine every possibility…maybe I won’t make the wrong choice.

But the truth is…Life doesn’t work that way. No matter how much I think…I can’t control what hasn’t happened yet.

And what I didn’t realize was—Thinking feels like progress. But it’s not. Because nothing actually changes until I move.

And sometimes…I started to notice something else. I wasn’t just thinking. I was using all my energy thinking. I had already lived through the situation in my mind…so many times…that by the time it came to actually doing it—I had nothing left. No energy. No motivation. Just hesitation.

I used all my energy thinking…instead of doing. OH MY GOSH.

Why am I like this?

Why do I feel the need to think everything through before I do anything?

And when I sat with that question…I began to see something. It’s not just about thinking. It’s about safety. Somewhere along the way, I learned that making the wrong move could cost me something. 

Maybe it’s being judged.
Maybe it’s failing.
Maybe it’s disappointing someone.

So instead of taking the risk…I try to prepare. I try to predict. I try to control what hasn’t even happened yet. Because if I can think through everything…maybe I can protect myself. But the truth is…I’m not really protecting myself. I’m just keeping myself from moving forward.

And maybe this is something deeper. Maybe it’s not just overthinking. Maybe it’s a lack of trust. Because if I truly trust…I don’t need to figure everything out before I begin. I don’t need to know every outcome. I don’t need to control every detail.

So maybe the goal is not to think less. Maybe the goal is to act sooner. To take a step  before my mind talks me out of it. Not a big step. Just a small one. Send the message. Start the task. Say the thing. Before I overthink it. 

And I think this is where faith becomes real for me. Because maybe I don’t need to know the outcome. Maybe I just need to take one step. And trust that God is already there. Not waiting for me to figure everything out. But walking with me as I go.

You don’t have to think it through perfectly to begin. You just have to begin.

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord,

You see the thoughts in my mind. The overthinking. The worrying. The constant need to figure everything out. You know how exhausting it can feel.

Lord, help me slow down. Not by thinking more…but by trusting You more.

Help me release the need to control every outcome.

Give me the courage to take small steps forward—even when I don’t feel ready.

Remind me that I don’t have to carry everything in my mind.

Because You are already there in every step I take.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Until next time, take a deep breath…and remember — you are already loved.