I am a recovering overthinker. My unchecked mind goes a million miles an hour sorting through every possible situation that could occur between now and 10 years in the future, usually focusing on negative outcomes. In every situation, I have identified the exits, who is in the room, what everyone is wearing, judged them and the situation to determine if this is going to be a good or bad experience – phew!! Prepared for every situation whether it happens or not. Overthinking is the crux to many, if not all, of our problems.
Overthinking leads to analysis paralysis. Small wrinkles intensify to become insurmountable issues that take attention away from what you should be doing. This opens the space to procrastinate, and focus on matters that have no real purpose or gain. A complete waste of your energy, time and money.
How to solve:
Training your mind to refocus should not be underestimated. For that reason, I strongly recommend investing in effective “organizer” who can organize your endless to do list and help refocus your energy on what you need to be doing. In your personal life, this is a coach or mentor. In business, this is an executive coach, a strategic project manager or consultant.
Three key aspects to consider:
Paying for a service is proven to garner the best results. You feel obligated to show up and make a real effort if your hard earn dollars are being allocated to something other than fun. (Note. Generally, the most expensive coachers and project managers have the best results. They realize the correlation between dollars invested and significant long-term results. Obviously do you due diligence and make sure the service provider is legitimate).
An unrelated party will provide practical and impartiall guidance. This includes calling you out when you don’t show up and not judging you. Above anything else, YOU are your most valuable investment
A significant part of my journey has been making a concentrated effort to remain connected in the POSITIVE NOW. It takes a LOT of practice and patience. I continue to benefit from my spiritual guides, mentors and coaches of over 10 years now. They have taught me how to breathe, meditate and opened up my eyes, mind and heart to different options. Today, I can confidently say that I am able to manage my overthinking tendencies. By simply noticing that I am overthinking, I am then able to shut it down and see the abundance of options and live a much more fulfilled life.
So, what do you say? All you have to do is make a decision to start managing the beast….one small step at a time.
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