overthinking, therefore failing

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   kbowlingtigerposted 14 years ago

   Hey, I overthink many things and it causes me to fail.... Has anyone done that? And do you find it highly annoying?

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   lyricsingrayposted 14 years ago

   sorry welcome first but I think your asking a question that is answered everyone has failed due to their actions or decisions and I don't think annoying is the word, maybe disappointed or ashamed.
   Regardless, welcome

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      kbowlingtigerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, and no... that's not what I'm meaning. My statement has a lot of meaning.

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   lyricsingrayposted 14 years ago

   OK

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   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   Overthink so you can never feel you have finished something to your satisfaction?

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   H.C Porterposted 14 years ago

   are you saying that you fail because you spend your time over thinking rather than acting?
   Or to you over think things so much that you over analyze on things that are not really relevant in any type of decision making?

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      kbowlingtigerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      megs78 and gracie hit it on the nail. That's exactly what I'm talking about. I tend to over analyze things when they only need a simple answer, and in the process I fail.
      
      Writing papers is a good example. I make my sentences very hard to understand and my professor wants simple writing. :-)

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   megs78posted 14 years ago

   I analyze way too much.  I worry about things that don't need worrying about, but I have always been an overthinker.  I don't know if it has contributed to any particular failure in my life except that it sometimes holds me back from trying things.

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      donotfearposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Bingo!! I do it too. Called 'obsessive thoughts'. Just happens naturally. Have to learn to retrain the brain not to linger on things and read more into a situation than there really is. It can be self-defeating at times causing extreme doubt and mistrust of others. Just like a spinning wheel rotating in your brain as your thought process goes thru every link, leg and angle to analyze the information. Sometimes we go into what's called 'information overload' when  there is too much information being processed in the brain at one time and we simply 'blow' or blank out. It's not always a bad thing. Our minds just race with thoughts (racing thoughts) or our little brain is moving faster than our congnitive ability is capable of. I found Luvox and Prozac to be helpful with this, but I'm not on it now. (Can't you tell?!!! Hahaha) Matter of fact, I just over analyzed a situation today playing all kinds of scenarios in my mind until I convinced myself that was the truth, even though it probably wasn't. Beat myself up, I did, my hands are still shaking with anger. Just blew the situation up. Over analyzed it TOO dang much. Coulda saved myself a lotta heart ache if I woulda taken my Prozac...!  HA....this is an example of over analyzing a post.

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         kbowlingtigerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         hahahhahahahha oh wow... so while I was reading, I was slowly bringing my face farther and farther away from the screen like "what the HECK!" I thought you were being serious. BRAVO! WELL DONE! This is so perfect and I must say hilarious. It kept me going, just like huh? And then you end it so nicely. Thx!  :-)

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   megs78posted 14 years ago

   and yes, it is annoying

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   Amazin Gracieposted 14 years ago

   Try acting on intuition and assess, analyze afterward.
   The conscious editing process finds every reason why
   not to take a leap. Can't succeed without trying!

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   B.C. BOUTIQUEposted 14 years ago

   I do this quite alot, I get going with thought, get it all together, and find that I have over thought and do not get accomplished with what I started.
   
   It is very common among people who are writers and artists or have the natural art instinct.

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    WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

    With respect to papers, the best way I found to deal with the issue was to write everything straight out of my head and then edit it rigorously. If a sentence is long, split it in two. Substitute simpler words for more complex ones if this doesn't do violence to what you are trying to say. Imagine you are trying to explain your subject to someone who doesn't have a clue about it. It can be done, just takes a bit of practice at first but afterwards will flow naturally.

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       kbowlingtigerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I've done that  before:0) It really helps. Writing With Style is a good book that explains how to do that.

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    NaomiRposted 14 years ago

    I do that, too. Sometimes I think it's better to go with your first thought -- because it's usually right!

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    thisisoliposted 14 years ago

    You cannot think too much, only too broad.
    
    Learning to Focus can definately be difficult, master it though and there will be no limits!

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