5 Ways Overthinking is Hindering Your Success
So, you’re an over-thinker. Of all problems to have, that’s not a horrible one, right? You just like to be cautious… evaluate all angles… pay attention to the details — no big deal.
Until you add up exactly what it’s costing you…
1. Overthinking is a huge waste of time
This one seems obvious, but think about how much time are you actually spending wasting overthinking…
Re-reading your email to a prospective client 10 times before hitting send… 15 minutes
Browsing through 5 pages of “gifts for 5-year-old boy” on Amazon to find the perfect present for your nephew… 25 minutes
Flipping through your cookbook — and eventually through Pinterest — to decide what to make for dinner… 30 minutes
Debating whether to attend your friend’s birthday dinner or parent/teacher conferences, which fall on the same night… 20 minutes
Whew, that’s an hour and a half. An hour and a half wasted on tasks that should take just 5 minutes each. Keep that up daily, and you’ve just wasted sixty-eight 8-hour days… that’s over thirteen 40-hour work weeks a year! (Let me guess, you’re doing the math to check that I’m right… trust me, I triple checked my work because I didn’t believe it either)
Now, I don’t say this to guilt you. I just want to open your eyes a little to why overthinking is a habit you want to kick… unless, of course, you have an extra 544 hours a year you don’t care about. In that case — carry on!
2. Overthinking is detrimental to your mental health
In addition to the wasted time outlined above, overthinking takes a toll on your mind. Overthinkers tend to create a habit out of overthinking, lacking the trust of their personal instinct, and therefore, will overthink on almost every decision. You can literally drain your brain by spending too much time worrying, re-evaluating, and stressing over your daily decisions. That’s not only tiring, but also takes away from your ability to focus on big, important decisions — like whether to quit your job, move to a new city, or have/adopt another child.
The habit of overthinking can lead to undue stress, anxiety, and even depression —all of which lead to even more overthinking and stressing over thoughts and decisions. It’s a downward spiral… and quite disruptive.
You can also experience a brain chemical and hormone imbalance as an overthinker. This imbalance can harm your memory, disrupt your sleep, affect your appetite, and hinder your ability to make sound judgement.
Source: https://mind.plus/how-to-stop-overthinking
Don’t spend your precious brain capacity on overthinking!
3. Overthinking is a waste of money
I’m going to make a bold statement here: overthinking is a waste of money. Before you roll your eyes, hear me out…
When you hesitate to make an investment and the prices rise, interest rates increase or someone else beats you to the purchase — that’s a waste of money.
When you spend your time researching, evaluating options, rewriting/reediting text, re-running scenes through your mind, or continuously seeking others’ thoughts and opinions — you’re not spending your time on revenue-generating activities. That’s a waste of [potential] money.
When you over purchase items because you couldn’t narrow your options in the cart, and either forget to return them, have to pay return shipping, or get refunded minus a restocking fee — that’s a waste of money.
When you purchase a non-refundable item or a service, then change your mind on it, and it either goes unused or you have to purchase a replacement — that’s a waste of money.
Ouch, that one hit you a little harder than you expected, right (especially considering today’s economy — sheesh!)
4. Overthinking hinders productivity
We’ve already talked about how overthinking is a huge waste of time. Let’s take that one step further and consider how overthinking can hinder your productivity.
Staying indecisive over what tile to use on your bathroom renovation will keep you from actually renovating your bathroom.
Getting stuck in “research” mode on what mop to purchase will keep you from cleaning your floors.
Spending months planning and strategizing the perfect new business service won’t get you monetized.
Browsing Pinterest for hours on end won’t get you any closer to executing your project.
But do you know what is productive? Taking action. Even if it’s imperfect action.
Pick a tile you love without having to see if there’s “anything better.” Ask your friends for their favorite mop suggestions and just go with one of those. Launch a beta version of your new product/service so you can test the market and get feedback that will shape the final offer. Purchase the supplies for one Pinterest pin so you can finally start!
Taking imperfect action might lead to some failures, but those lessons just push you forward in a stronger direction. One tiny step back that leads to three steps forward is more progress than just staying stuck, afraid to make the wrong decision.
5. Overthinking can strip your authority
When you hear the word “authority,” what comes to mind? Perhaps a police officer, CEO, doctor or a teenage assistant manager on a power trip. This word can get a bad reputation as arrogant or domineering. However, in simple terms it just means having the power to give orders or make decisions.
Establishing authority isn’t just about how others view you, it’s also how you feel about yourself. If you’re not confident that you have the power to make decisions — or good decisions, at that — you’re going to overthink those decisions.
Whether you’re needing to make a medical decision for your elderly parents, be the advocate for your child’s education needs, or be seen as an expert in your field, overthinking and struggling to make decisions will strip you of your authority and influence — in both the eyes of others and your perception of yourself.
As a result, you’ll often base your decisions off the opinions of others, regardless of whether they know your complete situation or have your best interest and desires in mind. If you often find yourself in a state of regret, it could be due to this very thing — surrendering your authority to others.
Trust me, I know about this one from experience, as I’ve been known to jump from business idea to business idea over the years. I share more about this is in this post).
Convinced Yet?
Wow, Lauren, what a positive and encouraging blog post… I’m so glad I read this… said no one, ever. However, I’m not just here to be a Negative Nancy, I’m here to help you make better decisions!
