Google said it was either Michael, Wayne or the Cuervo tequila guy who said, “We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take.” All three of them are absolutely right.

This past weekend, my son Caleb’s club soccer team headed to sunny San Diego to play against the Surf Club in California. Two days of soccer games, endless cheerleading and hanging out with the team. From the sideline point of view, all the parents watched anxiously awaiting for our boys to score a goal. With several opportunities to shoot, not just at this game, but throughout the entire season, we often would ask each other the question with perplexed faces, “Why didn’t he shoot that? It was the perfect shot!”

While we scored a few this weekend, there were obvious missed chances and we lost both games. I wondered what’s going through our team’s mind when they’re lined up so perfectly to kick the ball into the net and score one for the team?

The answer? We’re overthinking it.

Like his soccer team, this happens to a lot of us.

Soccer in sunny Cali.

We set out to hit that perfect shot, host a first-time event, launch the startup, whatever it is, yet something in our mind holds us back that we take more steps than we actually need out of fear or not feeling totally ready. We never set out to do the “thing” because we can’t get past the dream process to the do process. Before we know it, the opportunity that was set up so beautifully has passed us by.

Much like in the game of soccer. You have the chance to make THIS THING happen, but you hesitate. You overthink and the moment is gone.

Stop overthinking it. Rather, do the thing you set out to do. Take the shot and try. If it doesn’t work the first time, get up and do it again. Life will always be about learning. Taking a cue from my kiddos here. It’s not about perfection. It’s about the progress.

Rule of Life Lesson #139: