Are you overthinking problem-solving?

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Do you ever catch yourself replaying the same thoughts? I should have done this. I could have asked for that. If only, then I would have...

I know that loop well — the spiral of regret that drains your trust in yourself with every repetition. And while learning from mistakes matters, the real question is: how long do we stay stuck analyzing what went wrong instead of focusing on what we need to move forward?

The Hamster Wheel of Overthinking

You know the feeling. You're going in circles, rehashing the same thoughts, analyzing from every angle. Your mind is working overtime, but you're not getting anywhere. You're convinced that if you just think a little harder, the answer will appear.

But it doesn't.

Because overthinking isn't problem-solving. It's a hamster wheel — exhausting, relentless, and ultimately unproductive.

When we're stuck in overthinking, our nervous system is on high alert. We're in survival mode, not creation mode. Our brain creates repetitive loops to protect us from perceived threats — even when the threat is just uncertainty.

We are professional problem solvers, and our human advantage is that we can think. But we tend to overuse that power to the point of creating doubt instead of clarity.

The Paradox of Certainty

Here's the paradox: The harder we try to predict the future, the harder it becomes to feel certain. That's because the opposite of uncertainty is not certainty — it's trust.

We don't get stuck because we lack skill. We get stuck because we're trapped in what we think, rather than mastering how we think.

I call it the pothole of FUD — fear, uncertainty, and doubt. It's that repetitive mental loop where we spin our wheels without moving forward.

The way out? Pause.

The Power of Pausing

Pausing sounds counterintuitive when you're under pressure. It feels like stopping when you should be moving. But pausing isn't stopping — it's resetting.

When we pause, we interrupt the hamster wheel. We create a moment of space between stimulus and response. And in that space lives something profound: the power of choice.

Choice is where trust begins.

When we pause, we're choosing to step out of reactivity. We're choosing to trust that we don't need to have all the answers right now. This is what I call Power-Pausing, and it's the foundation of self-trust.

Self-Trust: The Foundation of All Trust

Trust isn't just something we build with others. It starts with the relationship we have with ourselves.

When we don't trust ourselves, we second-guess every decision. We overthink because we're afraid of making the wrong choice. We stay in the pothole because it feels safer than stepping into the unknown.

But when we practice pausing — when we build self-trust through small moments of intentional reset — we create a new pattern. We prove to ourselves that we can handle uncertainty. That we can think clearly under pressure, and with that, self-trust becomes the foundation for interpersonal and collective trust.

When you trust yourself, you show up differently. You listen more deeply. You respond with presence instead of reactivity. You stop being critical and instead show up curious, which creates the conditions for genuine connection — because you're not scrambling to fix everything or prove yourself. You're simply there, grounded, listening, and aligned.

From Overthinking to Choice

So the next time you find yourself in the pothole — spinning, overthinking, stuck in the same mental loop — Pause.

Take a few deep breaths into your belly. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice where you're holding tension in your body. Ask yourself: What do I need right now to meet what matters most in this moment?

You're not abandoning the problem. You're shifting from overthinking—being stuck in what you think—to mastering how you think. You're reclaiming your power to choose.

And in that moment, in that choice, you're building trust—with yourself, and ultimately, with the people around you.

Because staying human under pressure isn't about having all the answers. It's about trusting yourself to pause, reset, and choose wisely—together.

Your State of Being Is Your Superpower

Here's what we often forget: our inner state — our presence, our steadfastness — is our power as humans.

It's not just about what we do or what we say. It's about how we show up — the energy we bring, the presence we hold, the clarity we embody.

When we pause and reset, we shift our state. We move from survival mode to creation mode. From fear to trust. From spinning to choosing.

This isn't abstract philosophy. It's practical leadership—not as a title, but as a way of being. Because people don't just respond to your words or your decisions — they respond to your state. They feel whether you're grounded or frantic, whether you're present or distracted, whether you trust yourself or you're second-guessing.

Your state of being creates the conditions for trust, collaboration, and clarity. It's the invisible force that shapes every interaction, every conversation, every decision, every outcome.

And the good news? You have the power to shift your state at any moment. That's what makes staying human under pressure possible. That's what makes pausing so powerful. And it's free.

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