Daniel had been thinking about starting his own business for almost six months.
He had a business idea, a few potential customers, and enough savings to get started on a small scale.
But he wasn’t ready to make the move.
What if the business failed? What if he lost his savings? What if he couldn’t find enough customers? What if he left his job and later regretted it?
So Daniel did what any sensible person might do. He researched the market, spoke to entrepreneurs, calculated expenses, and prepared different business plans.
Each time he thought he was ready, another question appeared.
He revised his plan. Then he revised it again.
One evening, a friend asked him, “What’s changed since we last spoke about your business?”
Daniel paused.
He had spent weeks thinking about the same risks, but he hadn’t spoken to a single potential customer or tested his business idea.
He was thinking constantly, yet making little progress.
So, when does thinking about a decision become overthinking?
Perhaps it happens when we keep revisiting the same questions without gaining new information or moving closer to a decision.
Thinking helps us understand the risks and prepare for them. But repeatedly imagining what could go wrong doesn’t necessarily make us better prepared.
Daniel didn’t need to stop thinking. He needed to recognize when more thinking was no longer helping him move forward.
The next time you’re stuck on an important decision, ask yourself:
“Am I getting closer to a decision, or am I just going around in circles?”
Because sometimes, the next step isn’t another round of thinking. It’s recognizing what you already know—and deciding what to do with it.
One decision can change your life.