Think + Talk Less, Do More (it’s a secret to less stress)
As I get older, I’ve realized the true value of taking action on my goals and ideas over too much talking (or just thinking) about pursuing them.
This isn’t a terribly groundbreaking revelation. I think we all know that action beats inaction.
But what we (I) forgot is that imperfect action always beats perfect inaction.
Also (as an even more exciting revelation), by only talking or thinking about doing something, that thing usually becomes a source of stress or anxiety.
This was throwing some serious wrenches into my carefree life. So naturally, I shifted focus.
Now, I think less, talk less and do more. And I’m much more carefree for it.
So with that, let’s do this!
Table of Contents Show
What Does “Doing More” Really Mean?
Doing more than you say or think is focusing on actions and habits that bring you closer to your goals and ideas, and not just talking or thinking about them (i.e., not taking action).
Another part of talking less and doing more is not caring about oversharing or “bragging”.
Letting actions speak for themselves is common.
It’s also more fun, since people often start taking notice and asking you (with genuine curiosity) about what you’re doing.
It hits differently and creates a sense of pride and confidence – much more than just talking or thinking about starting something.
Recommended: The ‘Do Something’ Principle
Why Should I? (the perks of doing more than you say)
Build more trust and credibility
It’s a form of personal growth
Less stress and anxiety about unfinished tasks or ideas never started
Inspire others to do more and make changes
Sharpen your decision-making chops
Get more productive and focused
Build new (more sustainable) habits
Reach your goals and feel happier
Become more confident and sure of yourself
Recommended: How to Start Something New
How to Think Less, Talk Less + Do More (8 tips)
It takes some effort, and intention.
But here’s how I practice thinking and talking less and doing more.
1. Practice Sharing Less (+ only when people ask)
Sharing less makes things more low-key. Personally, I like things better this way anyways.
But it’s also a great way to shift focus away from chatter and into action. And when you do share, short and sweet is a good goal – less is more, after all.
This minimalist way of sharing your stuff is especially great for earlier stages of progress. It’s low-key and actually makes people more curious about what you’re doing or building.
So practice sharing less and just taking action silently in the background. Eventually people will inevitably take notice and start asking.
2. Focus On Milestones (not destinations)
Talking less and doing more doesn’t mean you need to stay completely private.
While everyone love’s a good mystery, it’s good to share your important moments and plans, especially with close friends and family who will support you and appreciate being in the loop.
One way I like to balance things (between talking too much or not at all) is to just share my milestones.
Milestones are key checkpoints that represent important parts of the journey to your goals. They’re not ultimate destinations, but still important, exciting and represent your actions.
So share milestones and your progress along the way – people want to hear about these!
3. Have Projects, Not Goals
Projects are things you’re actively working on. Goals are just plans.
This means changing your speech from “I want to…” or “I plan on…” to “I am…”. And it hits totally different.
When you have projects, it’s easier to make your plans sound more active and tangible – even if you don’t end up finishing them or if they flop.
For example, I always have creative travel projects while staying overseas.
These are things I’m actively working on for my personal brand and are easier to share. So right now, I am writing new articles on travel and Japan while recording new song inspired by these adventures.
I’m far from finished, but it’s still me actively doing more than I say or think. Because saying and thinking are inactive, passive activities.
So what are your projects?
Recommended: Approach Yearly Goals Like An Artist
4. Practice Patience
Patience is a modern superpower.
Everything is on-demand and holding back on the excitement of a new idea takes serious will power. But it’s a great way to lessen the pressure of wanting to overthink or over-talk things.
For me, patience means:
Deleting expectations
Setting realistic timelines
Practicing present moment awareness
Not rushing to achieve or share results
Patience is a more sustainable way to build your ideas. It just takes some practice and intention.
Personally, I like to meditate, which helps calm the mind and stay present. But it’s also helpful to fall in love with the process, not the destination.
Recommended: How to Have Slow Expectations
5. Stop Seeking External Validation
One reason for overthinking or talking more than taking action is feeling a need for validation.
It’s hard to jump into the unknown and pursue a new idea. It takes confidence, focus and mindset to believe in yourself and your thing.
So naturally, we look for some external validation. It feel especially good to get that positive feedback before we invest any time and energy!
That is, getting validation without any action or tangible results to show.
So my best advice is to become aware of this tendency and simply stop doing it. Shine a light on validation seeking.
Recommended: Avoiding the Fallacy of Approval
6. Build New Habits
The key to taking more action is building new habits.
A habit is a regular routine or repeatable behavior that’s almost subconscious. Breaking old habits is hard, so I like to focus on building new ones instead.
This means having a clear goal (i.e., what thing you want to take more action on) and slowly adopting new behaviors over time.
Here are some things that help me:
Create systems
Stack the deck in your favor
Find your ideal time management strategy for better productivity
Habits don’t form overnight, so it’s good to stay patient and build them little by little over time.
Eventually, with enough consistency, new habits can replace old ones.
7. Practice Modesty + Quiet Confidence
Modesty looks good.
Plus, it’s like the foundation of thinking less, talking less and doing more.
For me, modesty is a form of quiet confidence, where your sense of self assuredness is stronger than your need for validation.
Practicing modesty helps me stay carefree and less full of myself. Even though you may be doing something incredible, humility is powerful.
Just remember to not have too much modesty either. Because as with most things, balance is key.
8. Do More Hard or Uncomfortable Things
When you go to the extreme, your original conundrum feels less conundrum-y.
When I first started guitar, I learned on my mom’s old acoustic from when she was a kid. It had two missing strings (I never replaced), rusty metal and rough wood.
It was hard to play. And uncomfortable.
So when I finally bought a new guitar, suddenly I was ten times better at playing.
What happened?
I played in the extreme, so when I was reset to a normal default, everything felt easier. It’s the same idea for learning how to take more action with your goals.
By doing more things that are hard or uncomfortable, the discomfort of taking more action suddenly feels less hard. At least, that’s the idea.
So here are a few of my favorite difficult (but still fun) things to do:
Do more stuff that embarrasses you (for example, singing karaoke)
Embrace your quirks more
Learn a new language
Recommended: How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Later ✌️
Doing more and thinking or talking less makes you look more confident and leads to a more carefree lifestyle.
It comes down to staying aware of bad habits and building new ones.
My favorite moves include shifting focus to milestones (over macro goals), practicing patience and doing more hard or uncomfortable things (making it easier to actually start and take action on things).
So stay the course and stay low-key. Share bits and pieces (or the big news), but let your results and actions speak for themselves.
It’s more chill this way.
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Want More? Okay. Here’s More.
