Over-Thinking, Under-Thinking And The Sweet Spot  

I thought today I would write about thinking. 

Covering the whole spectrum.

For me, today, I was doing the OVER thinking thing.

Which is probably the one I am most often grappling with (aka: the one that needs my attention).

My OVER thinking today was actually in regards to what I would write for you.

Ha ha ha.

I was asking myself how I could best serve you today?

And my mind was spinning in over-drive. 

Going from one subject to the next and OVER analyzing which subject is the one that will tick the most boxes for the most people.

When the REALITY is that nothing I write will satisfy everyone’s taste.

So my doing the OVER thinking thing is just going to slow down my ability to actually get something done.

That is one of the main downsides of OVER thinking.

It gets in the way of taking action and getting things done.

BUT…

On the other hand there is UNDER thinking.

Not thinking enough about something before taking action.

Being rash.

Rushing before you have any plan.

It’s like wandering off into the woods without packing water, shelter and food.

The downside of UNDER thinking is we make bad choices.

So what to do?

Where’s the sweet spot?

There’s a spectrum

This thinking thing is pretty much on a spectrum.

At one end is UNDER thinking, and at the other end is OVER thinking.

I don’t think one is either better or worse than the other.

And I am not sure that sitting in the middle is the best solution.

So what is?

I think it comes down the CONSEQUENCES.

If the consequences of your choice are low, then UNDER thinking is probably fine.

But if the consequences are high, then it is time to ramp up the dial on the good quality thinking.

Essentially, if there is potential for things to turn to poop you better put on your thinking cap.

However if the choice is about whether to look at the shops on the right side of the mall first; or the left side, leave your thinking cap in your pocket and go where the trade winds blow you.

Too much thinking in that case and you are bound to go loony (and not enjoy your retail therapy.

A surprisingly common cause of UNDER thinking

This has come up a few times of late with a few different clients.

It is when people are prone to UNDER thinking.

And it might be a surprise.

And perhaps is the MOST IMPORTANT thing I will share with you today. 

It is actually EXCITEMENT or OVER enthusiasm.

When someone gets so excited about something, but does not stay grounded in conscious awareness, they can rush off and make lots of ill-thought-out choices.

My point is to be aware that excitement and enthusiasm are great things, but they can also disrupt the necessary thinking process (especially if there are significant consequences from their choices).

When you are in these excited states, it is like having a bigger flame to play with. 

You have the potential do more (good or bad).  

So, even though you are excited to move into action, spend the necessary time to slip on your thinking cap and set up an intentional plan of action. 

You have been warned.

Dealing with OVER thinking

I suspect this might be most common with you, as it is with me.

I think I am better at this than in the past.

Perhaps in the past, I was so fearful of making mistakes, that I OVER thought myself into decision-making paralysis.

I needed my Plan to be 100% ‘perfect’ before I took action.

Obviously this is a classic recipe for “getting bugger all sh#t done.”

Having now established a very different relationship with mis-takes, failure and the fear of looking bad, this has much less of a hold on me.

These days if I find myself OVER thinking, I take a breath and take a step back to interrupt the pattern (of the habit of over thinking).

Then I consider if there is one action that I can take – NOW – that will create some momentum.

What I am attempting to do is to move from the in-action of OVER thinking, into a place of ACTION.

This shifts energy too, from my brain into my body.

Doing anything physical at this stage is great to get out of OVER thinking mode.

Other things you might do, include:

1. Getting advice from the right person.

2. Taking action on something small, to get the physical gears turning, and get feedback.

3. Taking some ‘Time Out‘ (minutes, hours or days).

4. Switching to another task that you have more clarity and certainty around.

5. Taking the dog for a walk (or borrow one if you don’t have your own.

6. Writing the stuff in your head on to a piece of paper to ‘clear your mind’ and slow things down.

7. Undertaking a healthy distraction (e.g. read, get a massage, train, have a sauna, etc.)

Essentially, the primary thing you want to do to disrupt OVER thinking is to take ACTION.

At least that way you not only shift energy out of your brain, but you get potential feedback from your actions.

In Summary

I have to say, writing about the topic of thinking, and trying not to OVER think the main points was a wee bit of a challenge.

I had to accept that I would just leave it at that (which I have written above) and not contemplate if I have missed any important points.

UNDER thinking is a potential outcome of over enthusiasm (so be conscious of this and make a plan before rushing off to but that thing that you actually don’t need).

OVER thinking is ‘interrupted’ when you take action, and if you are unsure what specific action to take, choose one that is small and has low consequences.

The right amount of thinking is related to the CONSEQUENCES of the choice you are about to make.

My Parting Words

Sometimes I think a topic would be worthy to discuss and explore, and then once I am in it, it seems to require more wrestling than usual. 

This was one of those topics.

When you think too much about thinking, you end up chasing your tail.

Hopefully that wasn’t too much the case and you got some useful tips out of this exploration.

One of the things that came out is a realization that the ‘Shadow side’ of enthusiasm, can be a serious case of UNDER thinking. 

Sort of like being so excited to attend something you forgot to change out of your pyjamas, or do your hair, or remember to bring the entry ticket.  

And regards OVER thinking, it is about taking ACTION.

Pretty much any will do if you are paralysed in the thinking loop.

How are you at managing your brain’s activity?

What do you need to be more mindful of?

What is your go-to if you get caught OVER thinking?  

And on that note,

I THINK I will finish up right about now, before I blow a gasket. 🙂

Have a great day, and a level headed week on the thinking spectrum.   

Take care 

Carl  

Quotable QUOTE:

“Be aware that excitement and enthusiasm are great things, but they can also disrupt the necessary thinking process (especially if there are significant consequences from their choices)” Carl Massy

PS: Have you read or listened to this book yet? 18 Ways We Make Life WAY Harder Than It Needs To Be