How to Stop Overthinking Everything

4 key decision-making strategies for getting over analysis paralysis.

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - The Set-Path and Experimental Outlooks
03:41 - Incomplete Information: The Poker Mindset
05:26 - Dealing with Too Much Choice
08:35 - The Regret Exercise

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Video clips supplied by Getty Images

[Thomasfrank]

Hope this one helps improve your decision-making 🧠



🖊 Quote of the week: "Find ways of staying curious and learning new things, because it's super sad to think your last day of college is the last day you are taught something new." - Kevin Systrom

[joeykenney]

When stuck, prioritize action over everything. Action will show you the correct direction to take 100x faster than any analysis you could possibly run

[RealJamieBarclay]

2 main lessons that have really helped me overcome overthinking:

1) No one can hurt you without your permission (ruminating on an insult or an embarrassing moment is like someone slapping you in the face and then you continuing to slap yourself in the face another 99 times)

2) You don't really know what the best decision is until you take action. Start then learn, don't learn then start.

[최민준-hr]

1. Get over your fear. Have an experimental outlook on life. Be okay with living in a poker game, not a chess.
2. Limit your choices. It doesn't matter which TV you pick, the happiness of movie watching will be the same.
3. Prioritize your actions. Do the regret exercise. Will you regret not doing something in the future? If so, make that action your priority.

[DoctorAzmain]

I’m such an overthinker! The perfect video for me, Tom! Overthinking can be avoidant/fearful behaviour – “once I do this, there’s no way back”. As you say, just doing the thing will open up many more options than we previously had and prevent lost opportunities! For so long, I felt medicine would lock me into a career, but becoming a doctor has opened up so many options. It’s a lesson I’m still learning to be honest!

[SaraphL]

Thanks! I'm a software dev and I learned to not spend too much time trying to come up with the absolute best solution to a problem. That was always taking me the biggest portion of time for my tasks. Now if the solution isn't immediately apparent, I just start doing *something* and adjust my work on the fly. Leads to much better productivity.

[sacdaabdurhman]

“Everything in life is easier when you don’t concern yourself with what other people are doing”
Hope you have a good Monday 💜

[stephen-finance]

Take action, and make adjustments when and where needed. Making a plan can be great, but at the end of the day, the first step needs to be taken to get anywhere. Often we don't know what we don't know when planning, we only begin to figure things out when we are in the middle of things.

[aartoodeetooo]

Another analogy I could give at 3:41, is that life is like a Hercule Poirot novel rather than a Sherlock Holmes one. Some pieces are in front of you, sure, but some are deliberately hidden- like Agatha Christie does.

[samuelvilz]

5:30 I smile at your MTG example. I never experience decision paralysis as much as when I play Magic

[DrJessicaLouie]

I see this a LOT in burnout. Having clarity of our values/ideal lifestyle and a decision deadline has helped a lot with overthinking and going into decision fatigue. Thank you for sharing your advice Thomas!

[emilyjoansmith]

Such a powerful video!! Thank you Thomas!

*“Thinking too much leads to paralysis by analysis. It's important to think things through, but many use thinking as a means of avoiding action.”– Robert Herjavek*

[kitsurubami]

10:35 is the beginning of your video summary if you want to break that into a separate section. Currently it's labeled as part of "The Regret Exercise"

[effyapples]

You must be in my head because this is the video I’ve needed the past few weeks

[tina]

I used to not see myself as an overthinker, I even tell my overthinker friends to relax and not worry too much. That is until I got into counselling, and I was made to realize how much I actually overthink. I hesitate a lot before asking questions, making important decisions, speaking up during discussions, making suggestions, or coming up with solutions. In the end, I just keep my mouth shut. It really affected my performance at work. These tips are so helpful, and I'll do my best to apply them. Thanks, Tom!

[DemetriPanici]

*”Perfect is the Enemy of Good” - Voltaire*

[aartoodeetooo]

THOMAS. MY MAN. DUDE. YOU'RE AN ABSOLUTE ORACLE, YOU ARE.

[theelizaaguilar]

I was able to stop overthinking (for the most part) once stuff and my own actions moved me away from my expected path post-college. I'm still trying to reroute myself but I have multiple ways to do so. So I've been enjoying the journey by developing new skills, practicing my hobbies, and prioritizing myself and my health.

[BearOfZU]

This literally got recommended to me at the PERFECT time, I overthink WAY too much :P

[nicky]

Can't be better timing of a video. Just this morning i was overthinking about weather to go on a run, bike or tennis. Glad i saw this video.
Also love martin's pixel art cameo.