The difference between carefully considering your options and overthinking

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 "𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣?

Overthinking means ruminating over something endlessly, looking at it from every possible angle, analyzing it to death, second guessing every possible action you can take, causing yourself ever increasing anxiety and stress and, in the end, achieving nothing.

The core issue behind overthinking is the fear that the decision you make will have negative outcomes.

𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜:

• inability to make a decision – always thinking of yet another option

• constantly asking yourself “what if” questions and catastrophizing the possible outcomes

• always worrying about things you have no control over

• difficulty sleeping because you can’t turn off your thoughts

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜

Rational consideration of all relevant information before making a decision is critical thinking and for the most part it leads to the best decision under the circumstances.

Overthinking, on the other hand, is the opposite of critical thinking and it leads to paralysis and inaction.

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚

At the root of overthinking is a lack of confidence, a lack of trust in your skills, knowledge and abilities to take care of yourself, to make “the right” decision, even in situations where there is no such thing as “the right” decision

If lack of confidence leads to overthinking, then building self-confidence is the antidote. Confidence is the belief that you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to make sound decisions.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚

You can develop self-confidence by following these 2 simple steps:

• get clear about your purpose

• get clear about what you are really made of

When you know your purpose, you have a filter that makes decision making easier – all you have to decide is what you need to do to move closer to your vision.

When you are clear about what you are made of, you have the courage to be vulnerable and try new things, and you know you can handle whatever comes your way.

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚

Overthinking is a state of paralysis in which you constantly second guess yourself, leaving you feeling stuck and anxious.

The best way to get unstuck is to clarify your purpose and what you are really made of, so you always know what your next step is and you have the confidence to take action in service of your purpose.

If you feel stuck in life and are not sure what your next step is, let's chat. I offer complimentary 15 minute consultations. At the end of our conversation you will have clarity around what you really want in life and what your next step is.

Book your complimentary call HERE.