Overthinking, And How To Overcome It

“This is probably the advantage of being stupid. Stupid people just do. We tend to overthink. If we could eliminate the “over” and just think, then we could do, too. Only we’d be smarter doers because we’d be thinkers.” - Sarah Strohmeyer, Smart Girls Get What They Want

When I got the inspiration to write this article, I wasn't sure which angle I should take when it comes to the topic of "overthinking" because we can apply it in so many different areas of our lives, and just like that, I was nearly caught up in the exact problem I wanted to write about. In my case - Overthinking this article.

So I simply popped up my editor and started typing something. Anything, on how I sincerely felt about this topic, and I need you to keep this first principle in your mind:  'Just act'.

What exactly do we mean by "Overthinking"? This is my own definition:

This mental state cripples you in so many ways. Don't confuse "brainstorming" with "overthinking". I'll tell you the difference:

Now let's talk about some practical examples of when people overthink based on my own personal experiences and observations;

1. When you want to start your own business. Instead of brainstorming ideas on how you can make the business work, you overthink all the numerous ways the business can go wrong. There are so many amazing ideas that have died because they got stuck in the mind with overthinking.
2. When you want to make more money.  Instead of focusing on the little steps you can make to level up your skills and become a better professional, you instead waste time and mental energy thinking about some "unrealistic and abstract" ways about how you can make more money. Sometimes, spending hours and hours in bed just thinking. I have been there before. Overthinking how to make money does you absolutely no good. You cannot think yourself into making more money. Amazing ideas are generated when you get your ass up and actually start tinkering with stuff and learning new things. Overthinking in this case is a waste of time and gives room for depression and anxiety.  It'd probably be best to just watch moves or play games all day.
3. When you need to make a big career move. Such as decision can alter the entire trajectory of your life for the next decade. Here is the thing; don't spend too long making a career-redefining decision to the point where you don't even act at all.  Because next year is going to come. The next 5 years are going to come. Whether you decide or not. The question is, when it comes, how will you feel? Regret that you didn't make the move, or proud that you gave it your all and tried it out.

I want to try to keep this article as short as I can. Here is my advice for you:

I won't tell you to stop overthinking. Instead, I'll tell you to learn how to start in the smallest possible way. Take a 1-week trainer course in the career you want to switch to. See how it plays out. Put out some sample products for the business you want to start. If the sample products require a lot of investment, find a way to break it down even further to the smallest possible way you can start. DO ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING to get you rolling.  

Life is short dear reader. We are born today. We die tomorrow. Make every living moment worthwhile. Circumstances in life can force us into corners but don't stay there a moment longer. Thinking through situations is not bad.

It's not wrong to think and get creative. It becomes negative when you enter the cycle of overthinking. Then what follows is what we call Paralysis By Analysis.

If the lock you are trying to open isn't budging. Don't keep trying to break it open. You probably don't have the right keys yet, so switch focus for a while to the easier locks you can easily open, and hell, open thousands of those easier locks. The opportune time will come for the harder lock, and when it comes, you will be ready.

As long as the results of the decision are not life and death, you can always bounce back in worse-case scenarios. Even more, as a better person,

As software engineers, we are always in deep moments of thinking. When we code when we try to fix bugs or figure out how to develop a new feature. This can make us transfer that habit into other areas of our lives subconsciously.

At various moments in my life, I would spend days overthinking, but since I decided to put that behind me years ago,  I can say that I am an exponentially happier person. I make moves all the time. Always learning, putting myself out there, and trying to be a better person. The money, career progression, and big businesses will always follow as long as you are willing to do the best with the little you have.