Karen Natzel, BridgeTower Media Newswires
I am fortunate to work with a lot of smart people. Their brains are magnets for activity – powerful internal computers and creative, compelling forces. And yet, many of the leaders I coach confess to overthinking the daily issues they face.
Have you ever been guilty of being the bottleneck? Overanalyzing? Procrastinating? The longer we stay in the head space of churning, the more we feel at an impasse. This generates stress that doesn’t serve us or our colleagues, or advance our organization’s mission. Overthinking left unchecked translates to excessive thoughts that cause one anxiety, tension, dread, etc.
What causes us to overthink? There are numerous demands on our brains, many of which generate stress and worry. It may be a complex issue with many stakeholders and widespread ramifications; we may not have the level of competency or trust in ourselves around the subject; we may feel like we are the only person who can address the issue and fear making the wrong decision – or a decision that will be unpopular and/or contentious. Professionals who care about their work and their reputation tend to have a strong desire to get it right – which often means they experience an undercurrent of fear of making a mistake or looking foolish/incompetent.
Overthinking often leads us to make life harder than it needs to be. I developed the “Think Less, Live More” mantra years ago when I discovered my tendency to overthink. I find if I invite creativity into my head space, the thinking proves to be more productive – and certainly more enjoyable. Getting out of our heads and into the moment brings a certain mindfulness that fosters clarity and confidence in how we show up.
Our brains have the power to conjure up scenarios that inform our opinions and beliefs, direct our actions, define our identities, and create our realities. We can use our thinking to solve problems or get stuck in a destructive pattern. What’s the content of your thinking? Are you ruminating, discovering or expanding? Where you invest your thinking, you invest your life. When and how does your thinking serve you and when does it hold you back?
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Expanded vs. (over)thinking
Overthinking diminishes our effectiveness in communicating and collaborating. When we stay in our heads, people aren’t privy to our thoughts. Even when we share our overthinking, it tends to generate more confusion than leadership. That’s not to say you can’t have a strategic thinking partner, someone with whom you flesh out the nuances of a decision or issue. That can be a compelling way to bring clarity to the thinking so you may engage in productive dialogue that results in a decision or action. You can also “self-coach” by asking yourself questions such as:
• What do I know vs. what I think I know? While it can be fruitful to walk through “what if” scenarios, be careful to make them productive, risk-mitigating exercises, not hand-wringing experiences
• What are the observable facts/conditions?
• What are my biases? Hopes? Fears?
• What outcome would I like to see / am I committed to?
• What are my thinking/ behavioral patterns that interfere with my ability to be effective?
• What thoughts are inspiring, generative, productive?
• What thoughts perpetuate fears and sense of being stuck?
• Is my “thinking about it” keeping me stuck, avoiding an issue/confrontation, or is it helping me (and others) better understand an issue?
• What information / data do I need to make a decision? Is there a gap in my knowledge or am I simply pretending not to know?
Practice the art of paying attention. As you learn to focus on the task at hand, a conversation, or the dynamics of a meeting, you begin to notice things you might otherwise have missed. By observing the nuances, the relationships, the energy of a room, you can get outside of your head and gain valuable insights. When you are focused in the moment, you can let go of distractions and bring clarity to your thinking.
Bring a bias for decisive action. Act where you can and communicate any decision or action taken that is important for your colleagues to know.
Delegate a task and the requisite authority where your involvement is not needed. For things that do require your input, provide adequate parameters and oversight for someone else to deliver, then get out of the way and let them report back.
Gain some perspective. Pay attention to when your thinking shifts from productive to counterproductive. If you can identify when it happens, you can redirect for optimal thinking. When you find yourself overthinking minor things, practice letting go.
Set time boundaries. Put a time limit on the internal conversation or task. I use a desk timer when I’m embarking on a task to keep me focused and productive.
Get clear on your priorities. When we are overcommitted and pulled in multiple directions, it’s difficult to be present and focused. It’s as if we have an energy leak that does not allow our brains to function efficiently.
Go for a walk. The brain functions better when our bodies move.
Suspend judgment. In the process of thinking, allow yourself some grace, compassion and freedom to explore the idea. When we suspend judgment, we can unblock patterns of limited, repetitive thinking and create space for breakthroughs.
While it’s good to be thoughtful, reflective, creative and analytical, if we stay in our head too much, we miss the moment – and quite possibly miss an opportunity to impact. I’m not suggesting you act rashly, but rather find the balance of a well-thought-out decision and an efficient, momentum-building action.
All walks of life possess the capacity for expansive thinking. It takes openness, courage and a bit of humility to tackle problem-solving in a new way, embrace possibility thinking, and engage in a collaborative mindset.
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Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or karen@natzel.net.
