This week it’s my turn to conjure a thought for the week, and it’s fair to say I spent a bit of time planning. When I finally had that light bulb moment and started to write, I’d then come up with a better idea, so I stopped and started down a new path. After about ten restarts, I come to the realisation that I was overthinking a simple task. I was turning something fun into something stressful. Every idea I started with, was overrun with endless deliberating, worry about how you would receive it, and worrying about the relevance to your work.
This habit of overthinking is a common behaviour pattern for teachers. We run commentary in our head about striving perfection, and as a result, it can restrict our creativity and our confidence. We then find ourselves procrastinating, and our effectiveness decreases.
The next time you have an idea, try not to overthink it like I did today. Instead, put it in perspective, be realistic about the outcome and don’t strive for absolute perfection. The most important thing is just to take action and believe in yourself.
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