It took me 3 years to beat overthinking. I'll tell you how to in 5 steps
Summary
TLDRThis video focuses on overcoming overthinking by emphasizing action rather than overloading on information. The speaker shares five actionable tips to help viewers slow down, build momentum, allow imperfection, handle rejection, and shift focus from results to processes. The advice includes practical methods like taking walks, meditation, and breaking tasks into smaller steps to create momentum. The speaker highlights that perfectionism hinders progress, and focusing on action leads to growth and creativity. The video encourages simplifying tasks and embracing mistakes as part of the learning process.
Takeaways
- 😀 Overthinking is not a knowledge problem, it's an action problem. You can't fix overthinking by consuming more information.
- 🧘 Slowing down your mind and nervous system is key to combating overthinking. Practices like walks, meditation, and breathwork help.
- 🚶♂️ Momentum is essential. Start with small actions to create progress and break the cycle of overthinking.
- 👎 Allow yourself to be imperfect. Overthinking often stems from a fear of not being perfect. It's okay to suck sometimes.
- 💔 Rejection is a part of success. Fear inaction and regret more than you fear rejection or failure.
- 📝 Focus on action-based goals rather than result-based goals. This shifts your mindset to what you can control in the moment.
- 🔄 Simplify your actions. Complexity often fuels overthinking, so aim to make things as simple as possible.
- 🎯 Done is better than perfect. Trying to make things perfect can prevent you from completing tasks at all.
- 💡 Creating from the heart and connecting emotionally with others is more impactful than overthinking or over-planning.
- 💬 Engage with the community. The speaker encourages people to share their own experiences and advice for handling overthinking.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The video focuses on strategies to stop overthinking, particularly in relation to future concerns and taking action to overcome mental paralysis.
How does the speaker differentiate between types of overthinking?
-The speaker differentiates between overthinking about the past, such as replaying old conversations, and overthinking about the future, which involves worrying about outcomes, decisions, and judgments. The video addresses the latter type.
What is the key takeaway the speaker wants viewers to remember?
-The key takeaway is that overthinking is not a problem of information or knowledge but an action problem. The solution to overthinking is to take action, not to seek more knowledge.
What is the first tip for reducing overthinking?
-The first tip is to slow down. Overthinking has a fast-paced, neurotic energy, and to combat it, people need to engage in activities that calm the nervous system, like going for a walk, doing breathwork, or meditating.
Why does the speaker caution against trying to solve overthinking by consuming more information?
-The speaker warns that consuming more information while overthinking can worsen the situation by overwhelming the brain with too many external opinions, which adds to the mental clutter.
How does the concept of 'momentum' help combat overthinking?
-Momentum helps by encouraging small actions that build progress. By focusing on small, achievable tasks, people can break out of the paralysis caused by overthinking and gradually move toward their goals.
What role does 'allowing yourself to suck' play in overcoming overthinking?
-Allowing yourself to suck reduces the pressure of needing to be perfect. By accepting that failure or imperfection is part of the process, people can take action without fear, which helps them overcome the paralysis of overthinking.
Why should people fear inaction more than failure or rejection?
-People should fear inaction more than failure because, in the long run, regret over missed opportunities will outweigh the discomfort of failure or rejection. Taking action, even if it leads to mistakes, offers growth and progress.
What is the difference between result-based and action-based goals, according to the speaker?
-Result-based goals focus on a specific outcome (e.g., losing 10 lbs or getting 1 million subscribers), while action-based goals focus on the process (e.g., going to the gym 3 times a week or uploading 5 videos a week). Action-based goals help reduce overthinking by focusing on attainable steps rather than distant results.
How does simplifying tasks help with overthinking?
-Simplifying tasks helps with overthinking because complexity can lead to mental overload. By focusing on one simple action instead of aiming for perfection, people can break the cycle of overthinking and make steady progress.
Outlines
💭 Overthinking: The Struggle is Real
The video begins with the speaker introducing the topic of overthinking and sharing their personal struggles with it. They acknowledge how overthinking can create unnecessary problems and hinder action, including almost stopping the creation of the YouTube channel. The speaker distinguishes between two types of overthinking: dwelling on the past and worrying about the future, with the focus on the latter. The key takeaway is that overthinking is not solved by more knowledge but by action.
🚶♂️ Slow Down: Calm Your Mind, Control Overthinking
The speaker delves into how overthinking creates a fast-paced, neurotic energy and emphasizes the importance of slowing down to counter this. They explain that many people attempt to fight overthinking by consuming more information or using stimulants like caffeine, which only worsens the situation. Instead, they recommend slowing down through activities like long walks, breathwork, meditation, or mindfulness. These activities help reset the nervous system and take the person out of their head.
🔥 Momentum Over Perfection
In this section, the speaker highlights the importance of creating momentum to overcome overthinking. They share personal examples, like overcoming struggles with filming videos by taking small actions like setting up the shot or filming B-roll. The key is to shift from a mindset of perfection to one of continuous progress, focusing on small steps like just getting started or taking minimal actions. This strategy helps reduce overthinking and build momentum toward bigger tasks.
😌 Embrace Imperfection: Allow Yourself to Fail
The speaker discusses the concept of 'allowing yourself to suck' and detaching from the pressure of perfection. They explain how overthinking often stems from fear—fear of failure, rejection, or looking foolish. To overcome this, they suggest adopting a mindset that accepts imperfection and encourages action despite the potential for mistakes. This approach fosters resilience and reduces the anxiety associated with overthinking.
❌ Rejection as a Path to Success
Here, the speaker discusses changing the relationship with rejection. They argue that more rejection leads to more success because each rejection offers an opportunity to improve. Drawing parallels to dating and business, they explain that fearing inaction, rather than rejection, is more detrimental in the long run. The true fear should be regret from not taking action, as the speaker emphasizes that inaction often leads to more regrets than failure.
🎯 Shift from Results to Action-Based Goals
The speaker introduces the concept of setting action-based goals rather than focusing solely on results. They explain that while result-based goals (e.g., losing weight, earning a certain amount) are important, they can create a pass/fail mindset that fosters overthinking. Instead, action-based goals (e.g., working out a few times a week or writing daily) provide more control and lead to progress. By focusing on actions, people are more likely to reduce overthinking and achieve results.
🎨 Simplify: Focus on the Process, Not Perfection
The speaker concludes with the powerful advice to simplify tasks and avoid letting perfectionism hinder progress. They argue that perfectionism is a form of procrastination that prevents action. By focusing on just taking action, rather than obsessing over the perfect outcome, people can reduce overthinking and be more productive. The speaker shares personal reflections on how they aim to create content more authentically, highlighting that emotional and energetic connection with viewers is more important than perfectly overthought content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Overthinking
💡Action
💡Momentum
💡Perfectionism
💡Nervous system
💡Rejection
💡Simplification
💡Attachment to results
💡Breathwork
💡Anti-fragility
Highlights
Overthinking is not a knowledge or information problem. Action is the only way to solve it.
Overthinking is often associated with a fast-paced, neurotic energy. Slowing down is key to countering this.
To combat overthinking, avoid speeding up through more information or caffeine. Instead, try slowing down with activities like walking, breath work, and meditation.
Momentum is crucial in overcoming overthinking. Starting small and taking any form of action can help break the paralysis of overthinking.
Allow yourself to 'suck' and detach from perfectionism. This mindset reduces anxiety and fear of failure.
The relationship to rejection is important. The more rejection you face, the more success you will find.
Action goals are more effective than result-based goals. Focus on the process rather than the outcome to reduce overthinking.
Perfectionism is a lazy way to approach life and gives an excuse to avoid producing or taking action.
Done is better than perfect. Striving for perfection often leads to inaction.
Fearing inaction more than failure can help push you to take risks and avoid regrets.
Set small, manageable goals to create momentum. This could be as simple as going to the gym for five minutes or writing a few words to get started.
The more you focus on perfection, the more judgmental you become of others' work. Let go of this mindset to be more productive.
When overthinking, simplify the process. Complexity feeds overthinking, but simplicity breaks through it.
Instead of over-preparing for tasks like interviews, focus on maintaining authenticity and human connection.
Embrace creativity and flow over perfectionism. Creating from the heart often has a greater impact than overthinking every detail.
Transcripts
how we looking not overthinking we are
not overthinking today let me tell you
let's have a chat about overthinking the
art of you creating problems that were
never there all right making things 10
times harder than they need to be for
yourself and if you're watching this
video I understand the struggles more
than a lot of people with overthinking
it almost stopped me from creating this
entire YouTube channel that you're
watching now almost stopped me from
filming this very video I overthink is
the lighting good is the knowledge going
to be valuable am I having a good hair
day all the same things that that you
think about and struggle with maybe not
the hair day it's my one thing I
overthink all the time so in this video
I want to give you five tips that will
really help you stop overthinking one
note before we get rocking here I think
it's important to differentiate between
two main types of overthinking okay like
the first type is where people overthink
the past you're dwelling a lot in things
you could have done differently or you
beat yourself up or you know you
constantly go back and replay
conversations now that's one type of
overthinking that's very valid however
these tips aren't necessarily talking
about that type what I want to address
is probably the more common and chronic
form that you experience you thinking
not about your past but about your
future what will they say how will I
handle it is this good enough how should
I approach this and if you take one
thing away from this video I want it to
be this
overthinking is not a knowledge or
information problem you will never solve
your overthinking with more information
or more knowledge you know what will and
is the only way to solve your
overthinking action these are my five
best tips about what works tip number
one take how we describe overthinking
I'm thinking to too much my thoughts are
fast everything is sped up I'm in my
head it has a very neurotic fast-paced
energy doesn't it the only way to change
that fast-paced energy is not to do more
thinking and more fast-paced and more
cramming the way to get out of it is to
slow down you have to let your nervous
system chill out people label
overthinking a lot and they say well I
just can't get out of my head I'm
overthinking all the time maybe I'm
chronically anxious if you go in and you
tell a psychiatrist this they'll give
you anti-anxiety meds things like Xanax
Etc what does that do that slows you
down that's why people feel normal on
them 800 days ago when I was drinking
all the time that was the only thing
that helped me slow down and if you know
anything about alcohol literally numbs
your prefrontal cortex it slows you down
so you feel like you're not overthinking
you can relax what do most people do
when they're overthinking they hide out
they stay in bed and doom scroll
thinking that consuming more information
or techniques or tips or just like
cramming our brain with more will make
us produce more it doesn't work it's
like fighting fire with fire it's
pouring gasoline on it cuz now instead
of your own thoughts you have the
thoughts and opinions of hundreds and
thousands of other people what else do
people do they hype themselves up with
just tons of C caffeine nothing wrong
with caffeine I use it as well but I
found that when I'm overthinking the
more caffeine I have the more the
neuroticism goes up right the faster
things speed up so remember with this
tip we're not trying to do things that
speed us up faster faster faster we're
actually trying to do the Opposites
instead of fire with fire fire with
water balancing it out so what are some
examples of these going for a long walk
if you went on a walk for an hour and
you come back tell me you don't feel
different by the end of that and I'm not
talking you go for a walk and you know
you're cramming a podcast you know or an
Audi book so you can learn and memorize
information and tactic no you're just
going for a walk for an hour without
your phone can you even do that or is
that too unbearable breath work amazing
for bringing you out of your head into
your body meditation mindfulness I get
up every single morning morning the very
first thing I do 15 minutes set a timer
put a blindfold on don't get up for 15
minutes those three things right there
if you just implemented those three for
a week I guarantee your overthinking
would be way better so let's get into
this next point for you remember that
overthinking is an action not an
information problem and so one of the
ways I've been able to get over and
Beyond
overthinking has been to focus on
momentum because if you know anything
about science or what you learned in
Middle School an object in motion stays
in motion un less acted upon by an
outside force so if you can just focus
on getting some momentum watch how the
overthinking starts to go away because
you're building on wins when I was first
struggling to get started on YouTube I
noticed how hard it was to sit down and
film videos so what I would do is say I
don't have to film a video but I'm just
going to set up the shot and I found
that in setting up the shot momentum
instead of just staying stuck that was
motivating enough and I would sit down
and say okay I'm just going to get the
first hook out and I don't have to
finish it doesn't have to be perfect I
don't even have to like make a video I'm
just going to set things up or I'm just
going to take my camera out and film
around the house for some b-roll shots I
can use them I don't have to use them
doesn't matter so my question to you is
how can you find a way to not view this
as either I'm taking action or I'm
staying stuck and if I'm taking action I
have to finish it and it has to be
perfect and you get so in your head how
can you view it this how can I get
momentum you want to get fit can you
make momentum just going to the gym
checking in and doing five minutes
instead of I have to go to the gym and
do this hour and a half long leg
Destroyer workout that I saw some
Fitness influencer do your momentum is
just going to the gym you want to write
that paper and you're overthinking on
how to do it well you're probably
overthinking how are these paragraphs
going to link together what's the
structure is that even the right thing
do I sound smart let me research more
your momentum instead of staring at the
blank cursor overthinking is just write
the headline you know this is something
when I write I to get momentum I don't
just sit and read and research and you
know do the easy thing I'm like okay let
me like how can I get momentum here I
start at the most interesting part
instead of the headline or the first
paragraph I'll start like Midway through
at the point I'm most excited about and
that gets momentum and an object in
motion stays in motion and pretty soon
what could have been a day where you
procrastinate doing everything you start
to notice that you have momentum to do
things this can also be unrelated like
you just getting momentum by cleaning
your house or washing one dish or
cleaning one section of your room doing
something that puts you into action is
one of the easiest ways to get out of
overthinking and start moving
real quick if you're someone who's
looking to reinvent yourself create the
2.0 u in 10 weeks I'll link down below
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tip number three this next one is
allowing yourself to suck okay this is
not just some BS here this is something
I wrote down this has been my Mantra the
last couple weeks when we overthink it's
normally because we think it has to be
perfect and great and amazing or we have
to look a certain way or perform and it
has to be this mindblowing thing that
all makes us take ourselves too
seriously and that makes us very fragile
and if you look at the people you look
up to or who are crushing it they're
antifragile which means no matter what
happens I'll be okay I'm not going to
die cuz remember like overthinking puts
you in anxiety it's fight or flight or
freeze often times it's being frozen
frozen by fear analysis paralysis
literally not moving I'm not trying to
sound harsh here but when you're stuck
and Frozen you are afraid call it what
it is you're afraid that if you take
action it's going to suck or people are
going to find out that you're not as
smart as you say you are or maybe you're
going to get embarrassed or rejected
those are the fears that keep us
thinking this is just allowing yourself
to to suck and
detaching from how you have to look from
how you have to sound from how your
results have to be taking the pressure
off yourself saying okay I'm allowed to
suck I'm allowed to mess up I'm allowed
to be human and it doesn't have to be
perfect I don't have to be perfect tip
number four there was an old Jim ran
video I was watching I'll do my best Jim
rone impersonation for you okay you go
up and you get one out of 10 sales you
have a 10% close rate if you go up and
you get two out of 10 sales you have
20% how was that was that rough what
he's getting at is that the more
rejection you get the more success you
will eventually get because you improve
you get better if you look at who has
the most success in dating people who
are willing to shoot their shot get
rejected in business people who are
willing to put themselves out there be
cringe it's changing your relationship
to rejection that if I get rejected or
something doesn't go my way it's not
going to break you you're not going to
die your biggest fear should not be
Rejection it should be an action at the
end of your life you're going to regret
not taking action far more than the
things you took action on and the times
you look stupid or the times you got
rejected for every one person that
regrets starting a business there's a
thousand people who look back on their
life regret not starting one for every
one person who gets rejected in dating
there's a thousand people who regret not
shooting their shot and approaching that
person they found attractive or voicing
their intentions to someone so this
point is fearing in action more than
action fearing staying in paralysis more
than failure fearing the failure of
regrets more than the failure of
rejection more rejection means more
success that true in dating that's true
in business that's true in life tip
number five there's two primary ways to
set goals the first is result-based I
want to lose 10B I want to make
$100,000 I want to get a million YouTube
subscribers that's a result that sets a
Target in a North star to move towards
so yeah that's okay because at least you
have a Direction but the downside of
that is now that's black or white now
you hit it or you don't now you're a
pass or a failure that can be very
demotivating so what I actually like to
do is set that sure but also set what
are called action goals these are
instead of I want to lose 10 lbs I want
to go to the gym two or three times a
week result goal I want to get a million
subscribers action goal I want to upload
five videos a week no matter what I want
to finish this paper and get an A versus
I want to write a 100 words a day a
thousand words a day whatever it is what
I have found in my life is that when I
break it up and I focus on the action
the process I end up getting way closer
to the result the years where my
business did not move a lot is when I
was so focused on like manifesting this
result I missed the whole steps to get
there the process part huge huge problem
in this industry of just being obsessed
with results goals instead of actions
and processes processes when you're
overthinking you're trapped in result
land I have to do this and it has to get
me that which is attachment that whole
process is overthinking and attachment
to the result so I think if you're able
to step back and flip the script say ah
I'm going after a result what is the
process or the action that I can do that
is way more attainable in your control
and easier for you to do literally try
it right now like take the thing you're
thinking on that you want to do you just
want to make some art you want to make
some badass videos and post them online
people get all in their head with this
they're like well okay I'm going to post
and what's my Niche and okay I got to
start a business on this thing and
what's my product and who's my ideal
Avatar who's the person I'm talking to
wipe that clean who cares about the
results right now let's make the action
I just want to upload a video and see if
I like it yeah I just want to make one
video a week and have it as a creative
outlet for my voice cuz you know what we
might get into the process of making
vids and find out we don't actually like
it so instead of like wasting 3 years
before we film one video we might just
go there and try it and see if we even
like it and save ourselves 3 years of
overthinking I can't tell you how many
people I've coached on this like instead
of going for results focus on action and
process now this is the easiest point
this is the Mantra if you're
overthinking I want you to focus on one
word simplify it's an easy thing to make
things over complicated and complex the
hard thing to do is to make things
simple don't let perfect be the enemy of
good when you're preventing yourself and
holding yourself back from doing
something it's because you are attached
to it being as good good and perfect as
possible Perfection is a very lazy way
to live life it's a lazy thing to be
like some people take pride and I
overthink cuz I'm a perfectionist other
people are fine with slop and you know
but me my standards I'm just so so
perfect I'm exaggerating but that's like
people take pride in that that is the
laziest thing you can be is being a
perfectionist because that gives you an
excuse to not produce much that gives
you an excuse to take your sweet time
that gives you an excuse to second guess
and question everything and also judge
other people my standards are better
than that look at look at that can you
believe he posted that can you believe
how cringe that is I also find that
perfectionists are some of the most
judgmental people you ever notice that
they're projecting their own judgments
that they put on their work onto other
people instead of being a perfectionist
be a doer there's a saying done is
better than perfect because perfect
never gets done a great example is going
in for an interview like if you over
prepare for an interview you ever done
that and you show up to the interview
and it's like dry mouth or you're like
already tired talking about it it sucks
all the humanness out of you if you over
prepare at the end of the day no one
cares how much time and thought you put
into something they only care about the
results and the product a note to myself
here that I'll I'll put in here um this
is my intention with this year is like I
overthink the hell out of these videos
because I want them to be valuable I
really do like I don't want people to
click on a video and feel like it's I
don't know I think it comes from me
really respecting your time and that if
I'm going to post and people are going
to spend 15 20 minutes however long I
want them to walk away with something
but as I've thought about this and
shifted my Approach and thought about
the content I watch that impacts me the
most it's not always just this like
regurgitated overthought like chat GPT
download of INF information to someone
just like vomiting just like 20 steps
onto them productivity okay there's 15
things we can know to be
productive make it stop and I find
myself clicking off of those videos I
don't know if you do but like I find
myself walking away from that type of
content tired because it causes you to
overthink and it's almost like seeking
out the solutions to our problems is
making them worse this year I'm really
trying to be more about the energy and
the emotional value so instead of just
logical value that's one form it's more
about the connection and more just about
the vibe and my point here for throwing
this in here is when I overthink and I
make something about just value and I
just say okay like what's the brain dump
download ruins the whole thing but when
I'm able to just sit down and create
from the heart and get in a flow State
and that takes a while that can take 15
30 minutes but like when it's finally
there and you're connecting with people
and you're vibing
that's the stuff that people crave and
want at least in my opinion and that's
how I consume now now I'm curious I've
given you a lot of my advice for
overthinking but you all have some
Banger quotes and onliners I want you to
post your best piece of advice in the
comments below for overthinking what do
you do what have you learned from your
experience not what you've heard but
like what actually works for you post
that in the comment below in as short or
concise way as possible so we can just
like fill this comment thread with
awesome advice like subscribe if you're
not already thank you so much for being
here I'll link up right here five
questions that you can ask if you're
into introspection to coach yourself
it's a perfect followup to this I'll see
you in the next video stop settling
start living bye
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