Name: Soundtracks
Rating: 4.4 (324 reviews)
Author: Jon Acuff

What’s in it for me? Learn to stop overthinking and start acting.

We all have an internal soundtrack. Unlike a movie's, this soundtrack isn't composed of musical notes. It's a mental soundtrack, and, more often than not, it’s composed of self-denying thoughts. Our soundtrack, in other words, often consists of overthinking.

When we overthink, we allow doubt, hesitation, and self-criticism to interfere with our plans. We procrastinate. We pussyfoot. We postpone. And, as a result, instead of acting boldly and decisively to make our dreams a reality, we timidly cling to the secure lives we already have.

But what if things didn’t have to be this way? Well, imagine no longer. The blinks that follow lay out some simple and straightforward advice for ditching your doubts and strengthening your self-belief.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how reading a couple of words can slow your physical movements;
what overthinking has to do with neuroplasticity; and
why excessive self-criticism is like facing a hostile jury.

If you want to stop overthinking, then change the soundtrack of your thoughts.

Imagine if you could only listen to one playlist of songs for the rest of your life – the soundtrack to a famous movie, say. Wherever you went, whatever you did, you’d hear the same songs repeated again and again. The soundtrack would become a permanent part of your life.

In that situation, you’d probably think long and hard about what kind of soundtrack you’d choose. Ideally, it wouldn’t be something depressing, or scary, or unimaginative. No: you’d choose something comforting and inspiring instead.

This raises some provoking questions: If we’d scrutinize a musical playlist that hard, why don’t we take the same attitude toward our thoughts? Why do so many of us allow a loop of worried overthinking to play on repeat in our heads? Why don’t we decide to swap out that old, tired soundtrack for something exciting, fresh, and encouraging?

The key message here is: If you want to stop overthinking, then change the soundtrack of your thoughts.

You often hear people describe their thoughts as though they’re independent, superpowered things – mind-dwelling creatures that can't be controlled. That’s why people mention getting caught up in their thoughts or carried away by them.

But the truth is, you can choose your thought patterns and you can change the way you think. In other words, you can swap your old soundtrack for a new one – and upgrade your life in the process.

When you ditch your habit of overthinking, you don’t just get rid of old thoughts. You give yourself the chance to replace them with new thoughts – thoughts that will encourage you to achieve your goals and that will raise you up rather than drag you down.

If you’ve been an overthinker for as long as you can remember, this might sound like an empty promise. As the old saying goes, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But not in this case.

These days, we live in the age of neuroplasticity: we know that the brain itself will change in response to deliberate changes in our thinking. True, you won’t be able to stop overthinking overnight – but with a little determination, you can make serious strides in the right direction.

So just how can you rid yourself of the soundtracks that are holding you back? And what on earth are you going to replace them with?

Ask if your current soundtrack is true, helpful, and kind.

When you were a kid, you probably heard the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Back then it could be a comforting line – especially if you were dealing with bullying and cruel schoolyard taunts.

But, as we all eventually find out, words can hurt – quite a lot, in fact. That’s true no matter where the harsh words come from. They could be uttered by school bullies or by the equally cruel voice we use to criticize ourselves. The pain is the same.

Borrow new, helpful soundtracks from the world around you.

Kanye West, superstar rapper, record producer, and fashion designer, isn’t a man who’s known for his modesty. Even before he found fame, his ego was big. In his early days, he was once overheard saying to a friend, “My life is dope, and I do dope shit.”

Now, that kind of brag might not be the type of thing you’d say to a friend – but as an addition to your inner soundtrack, it’s hard to beat. If you tend to think your way into self-doubt, then a soundtrack that reinforces your dopeness and the dopeness of your life is probably exactly what you need.

Invert an old soundtrack in order to create a new one.

OK, so you've begun to interrogate your old soundtracks, and you’re drawing inspiration for better ones from the world around you. But what if you don’t know anyone like Kanye West? What if your environment isn’t furnishing you with the type of inspiring examples you need?

Well, then it’s time to reconsider the old soundtracks – that’s right, the same ones you’re trying to get rid of. Don’t worry: the point isn’t that you should hang onto them after all. Quite the opposite – every unhelpful soundtrack can actually be turned into a positive one. All you have to do is reverse it.

Gather the evidence you need to prove your pocket jury wrong.

In a courtroom, the job of a jury is to listen to evidence and issue a verdict concerning the guilt of the defendant – guilty or not guilty, in that familiar legal phrase.

Now, speaking in front of a courtroom can be a harrowing experience. A jury is instructed to scrutinize your words and evaluate your behavior very carefully. And in a court of law, that makes sense. But what if you had a jury following you around all day, every day, analyzing your mistakes and reaching cruel verdicts?

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