Overthinking? Make Something
Page 3: Getting out of your head, and into your hands
This weekend, I made two focaccias for a party. And two tiramisus. "Why two?" you might be wondering. Well, the first ones failed—badly. The focaccia was overcooked and dense. The tiramisu? Liquid slop. I was experimenting with new recipes, so failure didn’t surprise me. And even though the panic of having to go out and buy new ingredients was real, I learned a lot in the process.
This week, I want to talk about how we can all make the shift from thinking to doing.
Do you ever feel like you're stuck in your own head—overthinking, planning, analysing—but not actually creating? Trust me, you’re not alone. It’s easy to find ourselves caught up in the idea of making something, but struggling to actually get started.
Getting out of your head
We all love to dream big. Just look at what Simon Squibb’s doing. It’s far too easy to get carried away with ideas. Visions of what we could do. Perfect plans. But sometimes, the more we think about something, the harder it is to start. Thoughts spiral into doubts:
"Will it be good enough?"
"What if I mess it up?"
"Do I even know how to do this?"
“What if people hate it?”
That’s where you have to get out of your own head. Nothing happens until you start.
Getting into your hands
There’s something special that happens when you finally move from thought to action. Whether you’re writing, painting, baking, coding—whatever it is—the moment you get your hands moving, something else takes over. Suddenly, those doubts fade, and your brain goes into a flow state.
The key? Start before you’re ready.
Here are a few tips to help you get out of your head and into your hands:
Set a time limit: Give yourself 15 minutes to start something. No pressure to be perfect. Just do it. Nike know the power of this all too well. Once you’re in it, you’ll probably want to keep going.
Break it down: A big, overwhelming goal won’t help. Instead of tackling the whole project at once, break it into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate the progress, no matter how small.
Embrace the chaos: Creativity is messy, and that’s okay. Don’t aim for perfection right away—just focus on making, learning, and improving. Every single maker on the planet started out as a beginner.
Trust the process: The act of creating is where the magic lies. Even if the final product isn’t what you imagined, you’ll have learned something in the process. And it probably felt pretty good too.
Set a deadline: Deadlines create a sense of urgency and help to cut through procrastination and perfectionism. Even if it’s a self-imposed deadline, having a date in mind can transform how quickly you get from thinking to making.
A challenge for you
I’m challenging you to take one of those ideas you’ve been overthinking and just start making. Let go of the outcome for now and focus on getting into the flow. And when you do, hit reply and let me know what you made.
Remember, progress happens when you move from your head to your hands.
Makers & Shakers
This week, I’m ending the newsletter by featuring 3 local makers (Manchester, UK). They’ve been working at their respective crafts for a long time. You can tell. But they all started at the start. I hope you love their work as much as I do, and I hope they inspire you to get started on your own thing.