get ahead of oneself
B2 neutral intransitive
In simple words
To plan or do something too soon before you are ready or before it makes sense.
Literal meaning: To physically outrun yourself — an impossible image that captures the idea of moving faster than your own situation allows.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To think about or plan for future events before dealing with what is happening now.
"I'm already imagining our wedding, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself — we've only been on two dates."
"But I'm getting ahead of myself."
— Common self-correction phrase; notably used by Barack Obama in various speeches and interviews
2 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To act or make decisions before you have the necessary information or authority.
"Don't get ahead of yourself — we haven't approved the budget yet."
Usage notes
Usually used in the reflexive form ('I'm getting ahead of myself'). Often used as a self-correction during speech, e.g. 'But I'm getting ahead of myself — let me explain the background first.'
Commonly used with
plan celebrate announce assume think worry
Forms
Base
get ahead of oneself
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets ahead of oneself
he/she/it
Past simple
got ahead of oneself
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten ahead of oneself
have + pp
-ing form
getting ahead of oneself
continuous
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Synonyms
jump the gun get carried away count your chickens move too fast anticipate too much
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