Don't get lost in vague fears

If you're overthinking an idea you can actually do something about, the best thing you can do is take action now.

This doesn't mean you have to suddenly run off to make something, it just means you start taking a step forward. We tend to overthink because we fear failure, but if we just start working, that dissipates quickly

• Relabel the ideas you're overthinking ("self-doubt," "anxiety," etc)
  
• Reframe your experience and identify your thinking errors
  
• Refocus your attention on the part that matters
  
• Revalue your brain's messages with the new information
  

Overthinking becomes an endless cycle of thinking through options, researching it, and through the research finding even more things to think about. 

The uncertainty in this kind of thinking is what keeps us stuck in indecision.

We should always contemplate the pros and cons, take a step back from the action and get some perspective, see the big picture, consider the deeper Why of what we’re doing. But at some point, we have to say, “Enough!” And then take action.

Our working memory is what allows us to focus on the information we need to get things done at the moment we’re doing them. It is also in limited supply. You can think of it like our brain’s computer memory. Once it’s used up, nothing more can fit in.

When you overanalyze a situation, the repetitive thoughts, anxiety, and self-doubt decrease the amount of working memory you have available to complete challenging tasks, causing your productivity to plummet.

A recent Stanford study suggests that over-thinking not only impedes our ability to perform cognitive tasks but keeps us from reaching our creative potential as well.