Less Overthinking, More Decisiveness
Are you an overthinker? I certainly am, and I'm taking steps to become less of one or at least manage it better. It's actually one of my classic Virgo traits. But I still feel I can improve. My mind is always busy thinking about what I need to get done or how to move a project forward. It comes out the most when I need to make decisions. This is my third "do less, do more" item for 2021. My first two are covered in previous blog posts.
Do Less: Overthinking
Do More: Decisiveness and action
I am a chronic overthinker and have agonized over some of the silliest things. I can say that looking back, but at the time, it seemed necessary. I have recognized that not only does this take up too much time and brainpower, but it actually stretches out decision-making way too long. I think about decisions in terms of the "right" one and the "wrong" one and with that, comes the pressure of thinking if I make the wrong one, I have failed. But recently, someone gave me the suggestion to stop worrying about making the right decision and instead, make a decision and make it right. That's my new approach. Maybe there isn't a right and wrong decision or choice. I need to make one and make it work best for me.
Soon after I received this advice, I had the opportunity to give it a try. It was a few days before Christmas, on a Saturday when I had tons to do and lots of stops to make. I was feeling anxious about all that I needed to get done, and getting around streets and stores so close to the holiday was no fun. That afternoon, I happened to see a Facebook post from a local animal rescue that I follow saying that they needed volunteers to come in and sit with a new rescue dog that was severely underweight. She needed attention and love, and while I follow this rescue regularly and see lots of animals that they rescue, something about this one made me want to drop what I was doing and help out. I was already in the area, and they had posted a sign-up list for one-hour blocks of time. I knew the spots would go fast. If I sat and thought about it too long, it probably would not work out. I knew I had a lot to do but since my heart was telling me to just sign up and it was the season of giving, I did. I showed up, with a couple of Wendy's cheeseburgers in hand, and sat with little Angel for an hour. During that hour, I really thought about nothing else - no to-do lists, no last-minute gifts, and no menus that needed to be planned. My phone stayed in my bag. When my hour was up, I felt less anxious and was happy knowing I contributed to this sweet dog's recovery. As for the list of stops that I still faced, I made it work. I made this decision the right one for me.
I know this isn't an overly complex decision but it was my start to thinking about decisions differently. Practicing small helps train the mind for bigger decisions. There are plenty of decisions and situations that do require some weighing of options, thinking things through, and even creating a pros and cons list. But even in these situations, there is room to make that process run swiftly too.
For all of my fellow overthinkers out there, are you willing to give this a try? Make a decision and then make it the right one for you.