Back in 2020, when I knew I wanted to share my sober journey, I kept overthinking.
I was going back and forth between blogging or vlogging. When I did decide to blog, I then started to overthink my domain name. I was going in circles and worrying about the worst. While I eventually decided on one domain name, I went back to change it!
Is this overthinking at its best? I think so! And, it didn’t just stop there.
Almost half way through sharing my 1st year of sobriety, I started overthinking what others were thinking of me.
I would have thoughts such as:
“Maybe no one wants to hear about bad alcohol is. People may feel you are preaching to them.”
“Anina, it’s so silly how big of a deal you are making about your milestones.”
“People are thinking who does she think she is now?”
To those thoughts I responded:
I am not here to preach but to simply share my journey and what I learn about alcohol because I want to and I am passionate about mental health and ending the stigma around it.
If what I share triggers something in others that shows the nature of their own relationship with alcohol.
I’m very proud of how far I’ve made it and I’ll continue to make a big deal about my milestones! No matter how big or small, each day sober is worth celebrating!
If my journey inspires someone or helps them question their own relationship with alcohol then I feel like part of my job has been fulfilled.
Now 3 years later I am still sharing my journey, blogging, & now pursuing life coaching.
I am sharing this because I know there are so many women out there wanting to put something out into the world online. It could be a message in their hearts. It could be an idea. It could be starting a blog or vlog. But due to their thoughts, doubts, and/or fears, they hold themselves back.
If this is you, here is how to stop overthinking your creative ideas and start bringing them to life:
Become Self-Aware
Sometimes we are not aware of when we are overthinking because we are so caught in the story our mind keeps replaying. Trust me, I know! I am an overthinker.
The way I catch myself is simply by taking a step back, noticing my overthinking and refocusing on whatever it is that I am doing.
Other ways you can become self-aware is by meditating, journaling, or working with a therapist or coach.
Manage Your Thoughts & Feelings
Before I get into how to manage your thoughts and feelings, I think it may be helpful to normalize and validate your overthinking.
Overthinking may be happening because you struggle with anxiety or care a lot about what it is you want to bring to life that you want it to be great. I am mentioning this because sometimes some of us tend to judge ourselves when we are overthinking. When we are being hard on ourselves, it is important to be self-compassionate by normalizing and validating our thoughts and feelings.
Managing your thoughts and feelings is key when you want to bring a creative idea to life. As mentioned before, it is normal to overthink and it is also very normal to feel doubt or fear as you work toward a creative idea or goal. But, it is super important to find helpful ways to cope with these thoughts and feelings because if you don’t you may just find yourself stuck and not moving forward.
Everyone’s way of coping is different so you would need to identify what works for you in managing your overthinking, doubts, and/or fear. Here is a list of coping skills to give you some ideas:
-Journaling
-Meditating
-Dance or some form of body movement
-Going for a walk
-Letting yourself cry
-Working with a therapist or coach
Make A Choice & Stick To It
Indecision will also keep you stuck. The truth is that if you are dabbling between different ideas or choices, you will remain in the same place. So eventually, you are going to have to make a choice and figure it out as you go along.
You have to be okay with not knowing what is the best option to go with. You also have to be okay with letting go of other ideas when you choose one.
Remember that if it isn’t working with the first choice you make, you can always change course later on. Just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean it was a waste. It just means you tried something that didn’t work out and now you are taking it as feedback to guide you toward a new direction.
Choose Your Ideas Over What Others May Think
I think in some ways it’s normal to “worry” what others may think of us because we are social and conscious creatures who want to belong and be accepted. So for me to tell you, “stop caring what others think,” is a bit unrealistic. Which is why I am encouraging you to choose your ideas, dreams, and goals over what others may think. Remember this, you cannot allow what others think to hold you back and this includes your inner critic.
Learn to notice those thoughts, validate your feelings, and decide that you will choose your ideas, dreams, and goals regardless of the doubt, worries, and fear.
Just Start & Take Small Steps
One of the biggest things I’ve learned throughout my blogging journey is that you just have to start. You have to take one small step and then another one. You have to start while you feel unsure. You have to start even if it’s not “perfect.”
You can do this by finally creating that instagram page you’ve been wanting to start. You can start by posting for the first time. You can start by researching the tools you need to start that project. You can start by finally purchasing that domain name for your blog. You can start by recording your first video on your phone and posting it on Youtube. Seriously, any one small step can help you to finally get started on that creative idea you have.
If you need some extra help, I’d love to support you as your life coach as you take the 1st step toward starting that blog, vlog, social media page, or anything other idea.
Through our coaching, we can work together to:
Identify your thoughts, feelings, & doubts/fears
Learn how to work with these thoughts & feelings
Take small steps to bring your idea to life
Book a call with me here so we can chat and see if we could be a good fit for one another.
I look forward to connecting!
Thank you for reading <3
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