Ever feel like your brain is a browser with 37 tabs open?
Me too.
The thing is, overthinking isn’t just mental clutter— it’s a form of self-sabotage that creates problems where none existed.
And if you’ve ever spent hours ruminating on a decision that should have taken minutes, you’re not alone.
Overthinking almost stopped me from creating this entire newsletter. The questions kept coming: Is this valuable enough? Will people find it helpful? Should I reorganize the structure?
But here’s what I’ve learned through years of battling my own mental loops:
Overthinking is not a knowledge or information problem.
It’s a lack-of-action problem.
Put another way: If you’re thinking too much, you’re not acting enough.
Read that again.
So this newsletter has one goal: get you into action.
I want to give you my three biggest shifts that help you do just that.
Welcome back to Refusing to Settle, my weekly newsletter where we talk about reinventing yourself, transforming your life, and unlocking You 2.0.
Let’s go!
#1 SLOW DOWN TO SPEED UP
When overthinking takes hold, everything feels frantic and chaotic. Our thoughts race, anxiety spikes, and we become prisoners of our own minds.
If you’re anything like me, your first instinct is to fight this acceleration with more acceleration:
- Doom scrolling until 12 AM looking for answers
- Consuming podcast after podcast, book after book
- Downing that energy drink while already jittery
But fighting fire with fire only intensifies the blaze. When you’re overthinking, you need water, not gasoline.
I’ve found that the most counterintuitive approach works best: slowing down.
Here are five practices that have saved me countless hours of mental spinning:
- Taking a warm shower to reset my thinking (still my personal favorite)
- Brain dumping everything on my mind into a journal for 30 minutes
- Taking long walks (30-90+ minutes) usually without my phone
- Practicing deliberate breathwork (full guide here)
- Moving my body to shift my mental state (drums, gym, chasing my dog, etc)
Just think about when your best ideas emerge.
In the shower.
On vacation.
During a quiet weekend.
It’s no coincidence that insights arrive when the mental chatter quiets down.
Even medication works this way. Most anxiety meds don’t add anything new, they just slow things down. Alcohol follows the same mechanism, which explains why “liquid courage” feels real.
But you don’t need a drink to break free from overthinking. You just need to intentionally slow down, reset, and reclaim control of your thought patterns.
#2 FOCUS ON MOMENTUM, NOT PERFECTION
An object in motion stays in motion.
Your productivity and mental state follow the same principle.
When I started on YouTube, I obsessed over the wrong things: algorithm, lighting, titles. I devoured so much “how to” advice that making videos felt like rocket science.
I scripted every word, trying to get it “perfect.”
Watching those videos later, something huge was missing: me.
So I switched from scripts to bullet points. Just a few key ideas to nail. Less overthinking, more presence. Suddenly, my voice came through. The process became fun, resistance faded, and I actually posted more.
And the videos performed 10X better.
I still use this approach, having nearly 2M subscribers.
It’s easy to get in your head with that kind of pressure and lots of eyeballs on you. But when overthinking creeps in, I remember: “Just do a test shot. Just nail the first point.”
That approach transformed everything. 14-years later, I’m still consistently creating content that reaches millions of people, all because I focused on momentum over perfection.
Here’s another secret I found out about flow: it only happens through action.
Rivers flow because they’re moving.
Same with you.
Stop staying stagnant.
Start MOVING.
Your question isn’t “How can I do this perfectly?” but rather “How can I get some momentum going?”
If you want to get fit, momentum isn’t a 90-minute workout. It’s you going to the gym for five minutes.
If you need to write a paper, momentum isn’t obsessing over the intro. It’s writing whatever section fires you up most, even if it’s out of order.
If you’re launching your coaching business, momentum isn’t perfecting your website. It’s reaching out to one client today.
Whatever challenge you’re facing, remember:
Done is better than perfect because perfect never gets done.
You don’t need more information.
You need momentum.
#3 ALLOW YOURSELF TO SUCK
This has become my personal mantra lately…
I’ve even written it on a card and placed it on my desk where I see it throughout the day:
I know, a bit strange, but it works!
Overthinking often stems from the belief that everything we do must be flawless. We take ourselves too seriously and become fragile in the process.
The most successful people I’ve met are what Nassim Taleb would call “antifragile“—they gain strength from disorder and uncertainty. They understand that the greatest risk isn’t failing or facing rejection…it’s inaction.
For every one person who regrets starting a business, thousands regret never trying.
For every one person who got rejected in dating, millions regret never shooting their shot.
Your future regrets will almost always come from inaction, not from failure. Fear inaction more than action. Fear regret more than rejection.
Shoot your shot.
Allow yourself to suck 🙂
Your Challenge This Week
Not all solutions to overthinking work universally. Your brain is unique. Your triggers are unique. Your solutions should be unique too.
So here’s what I recommend:
- Choose ONE technique from this newsletter that resonated most with you
- Commit to practicing it for just three consecutive days
- Notice what changes when you slow down, build momentum, or detach from outcomes
Which approach will you try first? What’s the one area where overthinking has cost you the most? I’d love to hear from you! hit reply and let me know. I read every reply.
See you next Saturday!
stop settling overthinking, start living 🙂
CK
