How To Deal With An Overthinker

“””The only way to predict the future is to have some control over it.”” – Robert Kiyosaki
We all know that “”perfectionism”” is not good for us. The problem with being an over-achiever and wanting everything perfect is that we tend to get stuck in analysis paralysis. We keep thinking about ways we could improve our plans until we end up doing nothing at all. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack instead of just going out and finding one.
Overthinking is bad because it is essentially procrastination on steroids. Instead of taking action, you are spending time analyzing and planning how you will take action. In other words, you are putting off something important — actually taking action — so that you can spend more time working through ideas rather than actually getting things done. When you do this, you put off doing something really important to you. You waste a lot of energy by avoiding the most important thing you should be doing.
But wait! Do you want to know why I’m telling you all this? Because I’ve been there myself. I used to be an over-achiever. I was always busy coming up with new ideas or reading books about improving my skills or writing articles about topics related to my business. And then when someone would ask me a question, I’d start scrambling for answers without even knowing what they were asking. If I had taken the time to stop and listen properly, I might have gotten better responses. But I wouldn’t have wasted any time thinking about them at all.
I’d simply tell people what I thought they wanted to hear. That was enough. I didn’t need to dwell on how I was going to respond. I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes; I made plenty of them along the way. But I learned from those experiences and eventually got much better at handling situations. At least now I don’t have a habit of overanalyzing every situation before making a decision.
So if you’re struggling with procrastinating and overthinking, here are some tips to help you break free from analysis paralysis once and for all.
Stop Analyzing Everything Before Taking Action
When faced with a difficult choice, many people fall prey to the trap of overanalysis. They look around and see what everyone else thinks… whether others agree with their plan… what their competitors are doing… what experts recommend… etc., etc. This creates an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty and indecision. They often become paralyzed and never feel confident about reaching a conclusion.
It is true that sometimes you may have to consider several options and pick the best course of action based on pros and cons. However, while overanalyzing is useful when trying to solve problems, it can also lead to overwhelm and paralysis. So try breaking down decisions into smaller chunks. For example, you can decide to focus on a specific aspect of your project (e.g. marketing) to prevent overthinking too much. Then you can choose which strategy to use to achieve that goal (e.g. SEO). Or you can decide to ignore certain aspects altogether (e.g. social media).
If you still find yourself overwhelmed by choices, ask yourself these questions: What am I trying to accomplish here? Why does it matter? Once you have answered these questions, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices and move forward with confidence.
Put Your Ideas Into Perspective
Another big reason overthinkers avoid action is that they worry about failing. Failing is inevitable no matter what you do. One mistake means failure, but one success doesn’t mean victory either.
One of the biggest keys to overcoming this paralytic mindset is to realize that failures aren’t necessarily permanent. Most failures happen during the learning process, and learning is meant to teach us. Sometimes failures are necessary to learn valuable lessons.
Don’t let negative thoughts consume you. Learn from your mistakes. Try again. Keep moving forward. Remember that it’s okay to fail. Everyone has failed at some point or another.
And remember, you are not alone. Acknowledge that you are human. Everyone makes mistakes. Take comfort in the fact that you aren’t the first person who’s ever struggled with a particular issue. There is a whole community of people who have gone through similar struggles, and they can offer support.
Focus On Happiness Rather Than Perfection
Perfectionists believe that if they cannot reach 100% perfection, they must not be doing a good job. Yet studies show that high achievers have lower satisfaction levels than average performers.
In his book Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Superperformance, author Tony Schwartz states: “”What we seek isn’t excellence, per se, but happiness. And as the saying goes, ‘no great performance was ever performed perfectly.'””
To live successfully, we need to accept ourselves exactly where we are. We need to enjoy the journey and embrace the imperfections. Accepting ourselves gives us room to grow and evolve. It allows us to experiment, fail, and recover. It keeps us motivated to continue striving toward goals.
Remember, life isn’t competitive. Life shouldn’t be a zero sum game. Our lives are not about winning or losing. They are about growth, fulfillment, and joy.
Avoid Waiting For Perfection
An over-achiever tends to be impatient. She wants her actions to produce results quickly. She feels that she needs to perform well immediately, lest she disappoint herself and others. This creates pressure to deliver a desired outcome within a short period of time. Unfortunately, it causes us to rush into things and miss out on crucial steps.
Instead, give yourself ample time to complete tasks. You won’t know if a task is worthy of completion until you finish it fully. If you push yourself too hard to hit deadlines, you may actually end up producing less quality work. Give yourself permission to take extra time to complete projects.
There’s a term called “”planned obsolescence,”” meaning that we create systems and products that become obsolete after a relatively brief period of time. Many times, we buy brand-new cars, computers, phones, televisions, appliances, clothes, toys, furniture, shoes, and other items expecting them to last forever. But planned obsolescence is usually due to changing technology or fads. As soon as the next big thing comes out, manufacturers replace older models with newer ones.
Similarly, we often set arbitrary timelines for completing tasks, expecting quick resolutions. But we forget that we are humans. We don’t exist outside of time. Human beings naturally progress at different rates. Time passes differently for each of us. Some people mature faster than others. Even twins experience developmental differences.
Give Yourself Permission To Make Mistakes
Most people hate making mistakes. But the truth is that mistakes are natural parts of life. Nobody knows everything. No matter what we do, we will inevitably introduce errors. Mistakes are part of the process of growing and evolving. Learning from mistakes helps us develop smarter and wiser.
Accept that you are bound to make mistakes. You cannot win every single battle. You cannot fight against gravity. You cannot defy physics. You cannot beat death. All you can do is strive to reduce the risk of failure as much as possible.
You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live life to its fullest potential. You deserve to enjoy the journey. You deserve to make mistakes. You deserve to try new things. Be proud of your successes and failures alike.
Life is full of uncertainties. But if you stay focused on outcomes, you will end up living with regrets. Don’t obsess over what might have happened. Live today, and appreciate what you already have.”

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