Is there such a thing as thinking too much?

Author - Cerys Watts

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Is there such a thing as thinking too much?

Surely it’s good to think about things.  Taking the time to think about what needs to be done and how you’re going to do it makes perfect sense and is the obvious thing to do.  The trouble is that there‘s a very fine line between thinking and over thinking. 

When you get it right you contemplate how you will get the task done; what methods you could use; anticipate any foreseeable difficulties and consider the various outcomes. All of which contributes to how well you tackle the task in hand. Once you’ve spent the time deliberating you then act upon it.

But sometimes thinking too much about a problem actually stops you doing anything about it and won’t necessarily make it easier to solve.  Suddenly the problem seems more complicated, not less, and it’s even harder to make a decision or take action.  In fact rather than helping resolve the problem over thinking creates a much bigger problem because the more time you spend (waste) thinking about it the more insurmountable the problem becomes.

So if you find yourself thinking yourself out of doing something, stop, switch the mind off and take action.  Getting started can be the hardest but most important thing because once you’re involved in the practical details of the task in hand you’re paying less attention to your thoughts. As Napoleon Bonaparte said “take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in” and let’s face it he did win rather a lot of battles.

To find out more go to http://www.refocuser.com/2009/08/9-ways-to-stop-overthinking-everything/

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