Overthinking: A Breakthrough Killer

Overthinking.

The death of ideas. The end of possibilities. The graveyard of abandoned dreams.

This is what comes to mind when I hear that word. Overthink.

It’s no secret that many people today, no matter their walk of life can relate to the mental obstacle of overthinking.

We’ve all been there before.

You think you have a brilliant idea. An idea that can possibly take you to the next level. An idea that can possibly change everything that you thought was possible.

But then, in comes overthinking…

Thoughts such as “Maybe I’m not cut out for it” “That wouldn’t work. Nobody has done that before” or the famous “But what would my friends think? What would my family think??”

When we look at overthinking, it often comes from seeds of doubt within ourselves. Doubt that often involves insecurities, past traumas, or just straight up fear of what’s in store for the future.

Now in order for us to take back control and conquer this foe, we have to back track to the cause of overthinking.

Where it Starts

Overthinking is often described as a symptom that sprouts from other mental health disorders, mainly disorders that are connected with anxiety. This means things such as stress and perfectionism are leading factors that contribute to overthinking.

Now that we understand where overthinking comes from, we can now discuss possible solutions to combat this enemy.

#1: Drop Perfectionism

This is the first and most important step to win the battle against overthinking.

Perfectionism is drilled into our minds from the very moment we enter school. From the class rank system that is meant to determine who got the closest to perfection. To even in music, where it’s based on how close you can get to playing the musical piece with zero error.

We in society are taught to strive for perfection at any cost even to our own detriment, but is this truly helpful in the real world?

Now don’t get me wrong, I 100% believe that we should always strive to deliver our best effort.

But

I am against chasing perfection to the point where greatness is withheld due to there being a belief that there’s still more to fix.

Then the next question becomes, how do you know when it’s time to just release your creation/idea?

This is something that I often struggle with myself. But, after some experimentation I found a simple answer.

Think about the creation and answer me this.

If you publish this creation or idea, will it well represent you and what your mission is?

It’s that simple.

If you feel confident in your creation or idea being an extension of who you are or what you stand for then just go out there and release that creation/idea into the world.

If you live with the belief that everything you put out into this world is just an extension of your identity or mission, you’ll ensure that whatever you put your hands to, will be done with excellence. Because who wants a bad representation of themselves out there in the world?

#2: Question if this overthinking has a connection to an insecurity

Insecurities often have a way of creeping up whenever progress is to be made.

Since insecurities are a direct tie to a person’s identity, they often creep in and create a seed of doubt.

And it only takes a small seed of doubt to send you down a rabbit hole.

Trust me. I’ve been there, done that. Many times.

It never ends well.

Instead take a step back, and determine if any of the reasons you’re having second thoughts are due to an underlying insecurity.

Once you realize it’s just an insecurity trying to hold you back, you must make the choice to disregard it and push forward. The great thing about doing this is the fact that it allows you to break insecurities and become more confident within yourself, all the while you progress towards releasing that creation/idea.

#3: Just Breathe

Yes, I know that’s probably not the tip that you wanted to hear, but it’s true.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is just stop, take a breathe, and ease your mind.

Get out into nature if possible, read a book, do something that allows your mind to a take a breather from what’s at hand.

I can assure you even a simple 10-15 minute break does wonders.

To End It Off

In the wise words of Robert H. Schuller “Better to do something imperfectly than do nothing perfectly.”

I know it’s not easy.

It’s a daily battle that I face myself, but I know with persistence we can push forward.

Now go forward and pursue purpose.

Purpose over Pleasure🌱