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Do you overthink things?

It might not seem like a huge deal, but overthinking can rob you of opportunities and zap your energy. So in this episode, I’m talking about the life-changing magic of *not* overthinking things.

If you’re a recovering Type A (like me) or you sometimes have anxious tendencies, then planning out every tiny detail before you take action can help you feel safe. It’s an act of self-protection. But it’s also doing some other things, like holding you back, and robbing you of opportunities. 

So let’s talk about how to overcome overthinking, so that you can get into action mode faster — and start seeing results sooner.

In this episode we chat about:

• Why overthinking gives us a false sense of power (2:15)
• What successful people know about decision-making (that we can all learn from) (2:49)
• A simple but powerful 3-step process to break the cycle of overthinking (4:07)
• Start stepping and stop overthinking (6:40)

Episode resources:

• SheLaunch (join here)
• Mastering Your Mean Girl by Melissa Ambrosini (book)
• Open Wide by Melissa Ambrosini (book)
• Comparisonitis by Melissa Ambrosini (book)
• Time Magic by Melissa Ambrosini and Nick Broadhurst (book)

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The following transcript has been automatically generated and not checked for accuracy.

[00:00:00] In episode 608, I’m going to be sharing with you the art of not overthinking. So many of us overthink and it is time to break that habit. Grab a pen and paper or open the notes section on your phone and let’s dive in. Welcome to the Melissa Ambrosini show. I’m your host, Melissa, best selling author of Mastering Your Mean Girl, Open Wide, Comparisonitis.

And I’m here to remind you that love is sexy, healthy is liberating and wealthy isn’t a dirty word. Each week, I’ll be getting up close and personal with thought leaders from around the globe, as well as your weekly dose of motivation so that you can create epic change in your own life and become the best version of yourself possible.

Are you ready, beautiful?

Hey beautiful, and welcome back to the show. Have I’m so pumped [00:01:00] for this episode because I’m going to be diving deep into the art of not overthinking. And I know the feminine has a tendency to overthink, and it is smart to have a plan before you make big moves, whether that is in your life or business.

But there is a fine line between being prepared and overthinking every detail to the point of paralysis. I know you know what I’m talking about. So. Today, I want to talk about a success hack that doesn’t get enough airtime. Well, I think it doesn’t get enough airtime. And that is, like I said before, the art of not overthinking things.

Now, if you are a recovering type A, like me, or you sometimes have anxious tendencies, then planning out every tiny detail before you take action can help you feel safe. It’s an act of self protection, but it’s also doing some other things like holding you back and robbing you [00:02:00] opportunities. So let’s talk about how to overcome overthinking, right?

Just actually, before we dive in, raise your hand if you would like to overcome this. I definitely would. I absolutely would. And I am working on it. Now, overthinking can feel like a superpower. It gives us the illusion of control as we try to predict every possible outcome.

However, more often than not, it’s actually a trap that keeps us stuck in a loop of worry and inaction. It also zaps our energy, creativity, and motivation. And worst of all, it stops you from seizing opportunities that are right in front of you because you’re too busy contemplating what could go wrong, all the different scenarios.

You know what I mean? I know you know what I’m talking about. So here’s the truth that I have learned. After more than a decade in business, successful people don’t get bogged down in the [00:03:00] weeds of what if they just don’t. Now, this doesn’t mean that they don’t make plans or consider risks. It means that they don’t dwell on them.

So let me share a quick story to show you what I mean. Now, a few months back, I found myself obsessing over a new project. I was debating every detail. Endlessly listing all the pros and the cons, and trying to forecast every minuscule problem that could possibly arise. It was exhausting, my friends. It was exhausting.

Finally, I remembered the wisdom of keeping things simple and learning on the go. So I decided to stop the mental gymnastics and just go for it. And guess what? When we launched, the response was nothing short of amazing. And it turns out action taking was far better than trying to predict and control every tiny detail.

So why am I sharing this with you? Because I know how common this is for so many people. And because [00:04:00] you might unknowingly be doing the same thing that I was doing. Thinking that you’re doing yourself a favor by weighing all your options a thousand times, but really just psyching yourself out of taking action.

Now, if you can relate to any of this, I have got a powerful question for you. What could you achieve in your life or business if you stopped overthinking and you just started doing? The answer is probably a lot. Okay. So I’m going to share with you a simple three step process that can help you break the cycle of overthinking.

Are you ready? You might want to write this one down. Okay. Number one, catch yourself when your mind starts to spiral and you start to overthink. Catch yourself. Say, I’m overthinking right now. That is the first step. You have to catch yourself. You have to be aware that you’re actually doing it. So you say it out loud or say it in your mind, huh, I’m overthinking here.

Then the second step is you ask yourself, am I making this more [00:05:00] complicated than it needs to be? Is this constructive planning or am I caught in a worry loop or am I using overthinking as an excuse to avoid taking action? So you can ask yourself those three questions. You can do one of them or all three of them.

I hope you wrote them down. Then the third step is if your answer to any of those questions is yes, I want you to take a step back, simplify and make a move. Just one small step forward. That is it. That is it. You will be amazed at how liberating it feels. Okay. And it can also be really helpful to ask, what am I really worried about here?

What am I really worried about here? Exploring this can uncover the true roots of your hesitation. More often than not, it’s not the project or the action itself that’s daunting, but deep seated fears and limiting beliefs that we might not even be consciously aware of yet. Yes? Or caring what other people think, which is another whole [00:06:00] episode on its own.

So they are the three steps that you need to take whenever you are overthinking anything. Okay? Write them down in the notes section of your phone and revisit them. Let’s recap them. First step, catch yourself when your mind starts to spiral and to overthink. Then ask yourself one of these three questions or all of them.

Am I making this more complicated than it needs to be? Is this constructive planning or am I caught in a worry loop? Am I overthinking as an excuse to avoid taking action? Step three, if the answer to any of these questions is yes, you take a step back, simplify and make a move. Just one small step forward.

That is it. That is it, my friend. So this is not about being less thoughtful. It’s about being more decisive. And remember that no one’s journey is set in stone. We make the path by walking it, by taking action every single day, and sometimes [00:07:00] the best way to move forward is to stop overthinking and start stepping, okay?

So my wish for you, my beautiful friend, is in your life and in your business, you stop worrying and overthinking so much and you just take action because the path will be presented to you when you take that first step. That is my wish for you. So Be mindful of that this week. Yeah. Be really mindful of it and maybe tell your partner and your kids and whoever is close in your proximity, maybe your roommates and say, I’m going to work on not overthinking this week.

Would you like to be my accountability buddy? And let’s do this together. And help hold each other accountable because overthinking is not fun. It takes us out of the present moment and takes us out of our heart. And we want to be in our heart as much as possible. We want to be in the present moment because that’s where the magic is, my friend.

So have fun with this. Enjoy it [00:08:00] and let’s start breaking this overthinking habit and pattern because it is not supportive and we don’t need to hold onto it any longer. Okay? So I hope you got a lot out of this episode and if you did, please follow and subscribe to the show and leave me a review on Apple Podcasts if you haven’t already.

And if you have, please send a screenshot. To my Instagram at Melissa Ambrosini and I’ll send you a little thank you gift just for taking the time. Cause I really appreciate you and your time. Now if there’s someone in your life that you can think of that would really benefit from this episode, please share it with them right now.

You can take a screenshot, share it on your social media, email it to them, text it to them, do whatever you’ve got to do to get this in their ears. And until next time, don’t forget that love is sexy, healthy is liberating and wealthy isn’t a dirty word.

Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be SO grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple podcasts, that way we can inspire and educate even more people together.

P.S. If you’re looking for a high-impact marketing opportunity for your business and are interested in becoming a sponsor for The Melissa Ambrosini Show podcast, please email pr@melissaambrosini.com for more information.

P.P.S. Please seek advice from a qualified holistic practitioner before starting any new health practice.