Today, I am talking to you about a habit that I have seen destroy many leaders: overthinking. How do we stop overthinking? It is undeniable that overthinking is destructive for leaders. In fact, I have coached many leaders who fall into the overthinking trap. They often complain to me about their habit of overthinking and how it stops them from playing big.
Leaders often make decisions that can have ramifications throughout their entire organization, impacting their team, their partners, their vendors, and their clients. Working under this kind of pressure, it’s understandable that many leaders struggle with overthinking as they work towards making the best decisions. Overthinking is a common challenge for many. It can keep us up at night for hours, replaying the same scenarios in our minds or visualizing the worst possible outcomes. It's like redlining a car's engine with the parking brake engaged while the front wheels just spin in place—you burn out with a lot of smoke, but it gets you nowhere. Overthinking is such a trap where we become trapped in our own heads, overanalyzing things.
Overthinking at work often happens when you fear what’s coming, when there is uncertainty, or when dealing with things that really matter to you. How do you know whether you’re overthinking? You might be overthinking if you run through the same thoughts over and over without reaching any outcome, blow things out of proportion, worry about the worst outcomes, or aren’t taking action because you’re obsessed with finding the perfect solution. All of this impacts your work. To stop overthinking, I have written about several steps in one of my books, and I’ll share three of them with you.
First, begin to be aware that you are overthinking; you can’t stop overthinking if you are not consciously aware of it.
Second, change your state—when you start to overthink, immediately shift your physical state.
Lastly, replace worst-case scenario thoughts with best-case scenario thoughts.
I encourage you to reflect on the cost of overthinking in your situation and begin practicing these steps.
Your Good Friend and Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
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