Your mind races. Scenarios multiply. Hours dissolve.
“Which shirt to wear? Which task to prioritize? Which path to take?” Overthinking isn’t natural — it’s a habit.
Also, it’s mental arson. It burns your clarity, courage, capacity to act.
You’ve forgotten what’s yours to control. Let’s fix it.
Stoic Principle: Control Is a Lie
You judge choices as “right” or “wrong.” As if outcomes obey you. They don’t. Marcus Aurelius wrote: “You have power over your mind—not outside events.” Overthinking? It’s fear wearing logic’s mask. Stop judging. Start choosing.
What To Do
Strike 1. Premeditatio Malorum (Premeditation of Evils)
Stoic lesson: Visualize the worst case. See its edges. Most “risks” dissolve under sunlight.
Your fear is valid. But not absolute.
Do this: Whisper: “If I choose X, the worst outcome is…” Write three outcomes. Trash the piece of paper. Done.
Strike 2: The 10/10/10 Rule
Stoic lesson: Time reveals insignificance. Do things really matter?
Your anxiety wants safety. It needs a horizon.
Ask: “Will this matter in 10 days? 10 months? 10 years?” If two answers are “no”—decide. Now.
Strike 3: Imperfect Action > Perfect Deliberation
Stoic lesson: Virtue lies in action, not theory. A wrong choice lived well beats endless speculation.
You crave certainty. It doesn’t exist.
Action: Set a timer: 60 seconds. Choose. Walk. Do one deliberate physical act (grip a pen, stand up).
Brutal Truth
“You think decision paralysis ‘happens to you.’ Truth: You feed it. You sustain it. You invite it. Stop.
Journal Prompt
Which unmade choice would I admire in my deathbed journal?