Book Review: Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking By Jon Acuff

🚑 Why This Book Matters for First Responders

As a first responder, you’re trained to act quickly, think clearly, and adapt to constant change. But when it comes to your own career development, it’s often a different story. You hesitate. You second-guess. You wonder if you’re ready, or if your ambition will be misunderstood.

That hesitation? It often has less to do with reality ... and more to do with your internal soundtracks.

In Soundtracks, Jon Acuff explains that our minds are constantly playing mental “loops”, repeated thoughts, beliefs, and phrases that influence how we see ourselves and what we think is possible. The challenge is that many of us are running on broken or outdated soundtracks like:

“I’m not ready yet.”
“People like me don’t get that opportunity.”
“I should just be grateful to have a job.”

If you’re trying to gain momentum in your career, those soundtracks matter more than you think. Because when you change the narrative in your head, you change the direction of your career.

🧠 Core Insight: You can’t outgrow a mindset you won’t challenge.

Acuff argues that overthinking isn’t always a problem, it’s only a problem when your thoughts are negative, repetitive, and unhelpful. In other words, if your thoughts aren’t working for you, they’re working against you.

But here’s the powerful shift: instead of fighting your thoughts, replace them with better ones. Acuff calls this “building new soundtracks”, mental scripts that are true, helpful, and repeatable.

For first responders, this means:

• Replacing hesitation with curiosity

• Replacing self-doubt with self-awareness

• Replacing silence with small, confident action

🛠️ Practical Tools for First Responders

Acuff offers a simple test for any thought you have about your career:

Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it kind?

If the answer to any of those is no, it’s probably a soundtrack worth retiring.

Here are three tools from the book that can be applied immediately:

🔁 1. Retire, Replace, Repeat

• Retire: Identify one unhelpful career thought you often replay (e.g., “I’m not leadership material.”)

• Replace: Choose a new soundtrack that’s more accurate (e.g., “I’m learning how to lead in my own way.”)

• Repeat: Say it to yourself regularly, especially before big moments, decisions, or conversations

Consistency is key. Your brain will believe what it hears often enough.

✍️ 2. Write Down Your New Script

First responders are visual and practical. So write your soundtrack down.
Stick it to your locker. Put it in your shift notes. Use it as a screensaver.

Examples:

• “Every step counts, even the small ones.”

• “Asking for support shows strength, not weakness.”

• “Curiosity is my career compass.”

Writing it down increases belief and recall.

👥 3. Borrow a Better Soundtrack

If you’re stuck, use someone else’s words. This could be a quote, something a mentor once said, or even a Respondr post that hit home. You don’t have to create the perfect phrase ... just find one that moves you forward.

🧭 Why This Matters for Career Planning and Ambition

When you’re trying to grow in your career, you don’t just need clarity and planning. You need a resilient inner voice, one that will keep you steady when you're navigating uncertainty, asking for help, or stepping into something new.

Whether you’re aiming for a leadership role, thinking about further study, or just trying to feel less stuck, your thoughts shape your momentum. Soundtracks reminds you that your biggest barrier might not be your job, your manager, or your timing, it might be the quiet voice in your head saying you’re not ready.

Good news? That voice can be rewritten.

💬 Final Reflection

You already know how to show up for patients. This book helps you learn how to show up for yourself.

Because the difference between staying stuck and stepping forward is often a single sentence ... repeated often enough to believe it.

“I have permission to grow and I don’t need to wait until I feel 100% ready.”

You can access Soundtracks by Jon Acuff via print, digital or audio format. A link to the website is below which has books and other resources.