Dear Overthinker: Just Get the Damn Tattoo

Still overthinking that tattoo you’ve wanted for years? Here’s the reality check you didn’t ask for but probably need.

Let’s Cut to It. You’re Not Actually Waiting

You’ve been sitting on this idea for how long? It’s pinned, saved, screenshotted, and brought up in at least three friend group conversations. You’ve mapped out the placement, imagined the reveal, and even practiced your “yeah, I finally did it” shrug.

So… where is it?

You’ve asked yourself every question under the sun: Is now the right time? Is it too trendy? Is it too impulsive?

But here’s the thing — you’re not really waiting for the perfect moment. You’re just hesitating. And the longer you hesitate, the more likely you are to talk yourself out of something you actually want.

You Don’t Need a Life Altering Reason

Here’s the truth about tattoos: you don’t need a life-changing or deeply emotional reason to get one. It doesn’t have to mark a personal rebirth. It doesn’t have to be “for” anyone else. The only person it needs to make sense to is you.

You’re the one who has to wake up and see it every day. That doesn’t mean it has to be perfect. It just has to feel right in the moment.

Some of the best tattoos (the ones that hold up over time) are the ones that felt right when they were done. They capture a snapshot of who you were, what mattered or how you felt. That’s what makes them meaningful.

That’s the real reason: you liked it enough to make it permanent. That says more than any long explanation ever could.

If you’ve been holding off because it “doesn’t mean enough,” ask yourself this: why does it need to?

Sometimes the meaning comes later. Sometimes it never does. And both are completely valid.

Overthinking Doesn’t Make It Better. It Just Delays It

You’ve already put more time and effort into this tattoo than people put into their car purchases. That’s not a bad thing, it shows you care. But at some point, thinking stops being helpful and starts creating a roadblock for things that make you, you.

No design is going to feel 100% forever, that would mean that we’ve never grown as people. We change and grow every day, every month, and every year. And your tattoos grow with you. They become part of your story — starting with the first one you finally went through with, and every piece that came after.

You’ve done the research. You’ve imagined it a hundred times. You’re not unsure, You’re just stalling. And that’s okay. Nerves are normal.

But if the idea still sticks with you after all this time? That’s your answer.

It doesn’t have to be profound. It just has to feel right enough to take the next step.

So if you’re still thinking about it, take that as your sign. Stop waiting for perfection- start making it real.

See you in the chair.