Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life

by Anne Bogel

When we talk about overthinking, we’re talking about those times when we lavish mental energy on things that don’t deserve it.

impossible. When we assume we can’t, it’s guaranteed we won’t.

“The mental arena isn’t my area of expertise,” he said, “but I know this: your thoughts can be the enemy, or you can make them your ally.”

When we’re overthinking, the easiest thing to do is keep overthinking. To stop the cycle, we need to interrupt these thought patterns, and we can do that by taking a small step in the right direction. Then it becomes easier to take another right step, and another.

Because of our overanalysis, we’ll be less satisfied with the outcome, even if we arrive at an objectively better one.

Perfectionism may manifest as any of the following: Regular procrastination A need to find the “right” answer before moving forward All-or-nothing thinking Struggles with completing a project because there’s always more we could do A critical eye that homes in on imperfections Replaying what we wished we’d said in our mind following a conversation Frequently second-guessing past decisions

We can’t keep searching for perfect solutions, interesting as the pursuit may be, because perfect solutions don’t exist. There’s seldom one right answer; in reality, there are more often many good answers.

To extricate yourself from analysis paralysis, you don’t need more information. You need to act.

When I try an experiment, success is getting an outcome. Any outcome. The goal is to get results, not a win.

May you be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit. May you live in safety. May you be free from anxiety and worry. May you learn to look at yourself with the eyes of understanding and love. May you be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in yourself. May you know how to nourish the seeds of joy in yourself every day. May you be able to live fresh, solid, and free.