Key Takeaways (TLDR):
- Overthinking usually isn’t all bad. It often means you care deeply and want to do your best. Left unchecked, it keeps you playing below your level.
- It tends to show up as stalling on decisions, over-researching, constant rebuilding, and quietly building systems that keep you small and safe.
- It flares when you’re unclear on what you actually want, afraid of judgment, stuck in a perfectionistic loop, or consuming too much of everyone else’s stuff.
- Give decisions a container. Set a deadline or a timer so a choice doesn’t become an endless pit.
- Start with what you want before you poll your friends, because more inputs usually mean a deeper rabbit hole.
- Create before you consume, ship imperfect work, and remember that almost nothing is permanent.
- Pick a lane and commit for 90 days, build systems to cut decision fatigue, and detach your worth from the outcome. Choose three of these and start practicing today.
I can overthink, outthink, rethink, and retroactively think my way into anything BUT momentum… can you relate?
Do you identify as an overthinker?
If so, this episode and article are for you!
This episode is for you if you identify as an overthinker (or just a little too much thinker) at times. We’re going to get into the importance of overcoming overthinking so we can gain clarity, confidence, and momentum by quieting the inner chatter and noise inside our heads.
- Ways overthinking can manifest
- Where overthinking might come from (it’s not all bad!)
- 9 Ways to overcome overthinking
- And more!
Maybe you’ve been there too…
You’ve decided to play well below your level, not because you lack talent, not because your mind isn’t sharp as a tack, not because you don’t know you have something to share or say, but because you’re stuck in a loop of inner conflict, overthinking, and self-editing.
Perhaps your overthinking shows up as:
- Creating strategies or seeking out strategies and plans, and then not taking action on them
- Stalling by not making decisions
- Rebuilding constantly instead of being more consistent and showing up with fervor in the direction you’re going
- Building systems that let you stay small and safe, so you don’t have to get visible
- Being careful and cautious because something could go wrong if you take the risk.
Overthinking Results in Underdelivering on Your Gifts.
It doesn’t always come from a bad place. It usually means you care deeply, you want to do your best, you care about others, being as correct as you can be, and improving.
Overthinking pops up when:
- We’re not clear on what we actually want
- We’re afraid of judgement
- We get into perfectionistic loops
- We consume too much of everyone else’s stuff
I think we SHOULD think through decisions slowly and intentionally. However, I don’t think it’s ideal when the inner artist, inner critic, and inner strategist are all talking at once. When they all start chattering at once, it can get very, very noisy up there.
9 Creative Ideas to Stop Overthinking:
1. Create a decision-making rule
Decide how long you’ll allow yourself to decide. You can literally set a timer for some of the smaller stuff, or you can establish a date-to-be-determined by. It’s also helpful to create a decision day that allows you to have time to research, explore, or just take a long walk as you make your final call. This puts the decision into a container, not an endless pit. Loose ends aren’t good for your brain, and they’re not always an ideal way of showing up for others either. Some decisions make life better for you and everyone around you. And usually, the faster you make a decision, the faster you can learn it wasn’t the right one if you fail.
Remember, no matter how long you take to make a decision, no matter how much you overthink, it doesn’t guarantee a perfect outcome. Sometimes you have to move forward to know that.
2. Ask yourself what you really want
If overthinking is tripping you up, please do not poll all your friends.
I have done this so many times! You will almost always go further down your rabbit hole with more inputs. Asking for others’ feedback is great, but before you go outsourcing it, ask yourself what you want first:
What do I want from this?
What do I want this to do?
What do I feel?
What do I really want to say
What am I trying to achieve?
Start with what YOU want.
Then, go ahead and get that confirmation from a friend.
3. Zoom out: Will this matter in three months from now?
I can take a molehill of something simple like… putting clothes on and turn it into a mountain of outfits that didn’t feel right or look just so. I can overthink a t-shirt color: is this too bold, too tame, too boring, too lame!?
Will it matter in three months from now? In many cases, what we’re overthinking isn’t worth the effort.
This question helps you practically think through the implications of whatever you’re overthinking.
4. Create before you consume
This is everywhere on the internet, and it’s common advice touted by writers and creators everywhere for a reason. If you find yourself constantly researching, reading, and scrolling, all the while not doing anything, stop.
Consumption floods your brain with noise, comparison, and confusion.
Creating, on the other hand, quiets all that and simultaneously strengthens your internal voice.
Do it first, write it first, record it first, Google later.
5. Not everything is a permanent declaration
Sometimes we overthink little things like posting, or saying something in a podcast, or something we wrote, because we’re worried this is the final word. Once we say this, it’s set in stone. Guess what? You’re allowed to say something and then also change your mind! Life is one big rough draft… we’re constantly moving around and shifting, and there are very few things that are permanent. So, just start. Push the pencil, create the momentum, write from the messy middle, and take one step towards drafting the thing.
6. Pick a Lane and stick to it for 90 days
You don’t need to pick the perfect lane or the “right” lane, but pick a lane and be consistent! Make a choice, and stop pivoting or overthinking every time it gets uncomfortable.
Tell yourself you’re going to stay the course.
Be it a new service you’re adding, your messaging, a client niche, a name for your podcast… decide it and GO all in on it for three months, consistently. Sometimes we don’t know what else we need to figure out until we give something the proper TIME to breathe.
7. Create systems for un-overthinking yourself
One of my biggest overthinking prevention techniques is routines and systems. Things I do regularly to reduce the constant decision fatigue. Outlines, automation, calendar booking links, schedules, boundaries, and more. Systems can be an overthinker’s savior.
8. Done is better than perfect.
I’m not a perfectionist, but I know many who are. I watch them build this idea of perfect up in their mind and then they can’t post, deliver, send out a single email until “perfect” has been met. Done is better than perfect, so ship it!
- In the game is better than in your head.
- Releasing it into the wild is better than planning it out on a Google doc.
9. Detach from putting your worth in the outcome
Detach your worth from your business.
Detach your worth from what you’re creating.
Detach your worth from the feedback you receive.
Your performance, what others think, how others receive things, your business’s success, the outcomes of things… it doesn’t determine your value or make you less worthy.
Ready to lock arms and stop overthinking together? I challenge you to choose just THREE of these and practice with them right away!
FAQ: Overthinking
Is Overthinking a Bad Thing?
Not always and not entirely. It usually comes from a good place. It means you care deeply, want to do your best, and want to get things right. The trouble is that unchecked, overthinking results in underdelivering on your gifts, because you stay stuck in the loop instead of moving forward.
Why Do I Overthink Everything?
Overthinking tends to pop up when you’re not clear on what you actually want, when you’re afraid of judgment, when you’re caught in a perfectionistic loop, or when you’ve been consuming too much of everyone else’s content. It’s often your inner artist, inner critic, and inner strategist all talking at once, and it gets very noisy up there.
How Do I Stop Overthinking?
Start small. Give your decisions a deadline so they don’t become an endless pit, ask yourself what you want before polling your friends, and create before you consume. Then pick a lane for 90 days, build systems that cut decision fatigue, ship imperfect work, and detach your worth from the outcome. Pick three to practice and begin there.
How Do I Make Decisions Faster Without Overthinking?
Put the decision in a container instead of an endless pit. Decide how long you’ll allow yourself to decide, set a timer or a decision day, and then make the call. The faster you decide, the faster you learn whether it was right, and no amount of overthinking guarantees a perfect outcome anyway.
What Does “Create Before You Consume” Mean?
It means doing your own creating first, before you flood your brain with everyone else’s research, scrolling, and opinions. Consumption brings noise, comparison, and confusion. Creating quiets all of that and strengthens your own voice. Write it, record it, or draft it first, and Google later.
Does Overthinking Mean I’m Not Talented or Capable?
No. Overthinkers often play well below their level, not for lack of talent or because their mind isn’t sharp, but because they’re stuck in a loop of inner conflict and self-editing. Your worth isn’t tied to your output, the feedback, or the outcome, and detaching the two is part of breaking the loop.
