Trust Your First Instinct: Why We Overthink and How to Stop

A number of years ago, I was enrolled in a business law course. One day, I arrived late to class and immediately realized that everyone was taking one of the professor’s unannounced quizzes. I approached the professor, and he handed me the test. As he did so, he looked at me with deep sympathy and said, “You have one minute. Good luck.”

I quickly reached my seat, whipped out my pen, and began. I literally had no time to think about my answers, let alone overthink or second-guess anything. I quickly read through the questions, circled the answers I thought were right, and finished within that final one minute. At the end of class, the professor handed back our tests; I had scored 100 percent! I could only stare and laugh.

I had heard my whole life that your first instinct is usually correct, and I had just proven that theory right. With no time to overthink, I let my instincts take over, and they were completely right.

Why do we overthink? According to Carolyn Cooper, a mentor of mine and the founder of SimplyALIGN, one significant reason is the false belief that it is not safe to make a mistake. Beliefs like this often begin in childhood. If our parents held us to high expectations or criticized us when we failed to do something perfectly, we may have learned to associate mistakes with judgment.

The thought process may sound something like this: “If I make a mistake, I’ll be judged harshly. But if I consider every possible step and detail, maybe I’ll be safe.” When you become stuck in a loop of overanalyzing, you may be trying to control uncertainty and protect yourself from overlooking something.

I’m sure we have all made a decision and later thought, “I didn’t think about that part.” Our brains remember that experience: “OK, I missed something once before, and I never want to do that again.” We begin trying to solve every possible problem mentally before making a decision.

But many good decisions come from how something feels just as much as from careful thought. Carolyn offers this advice: Get still and consider everything you know from the information you have gathered. Then listen for the small, quiet voice humming in the back of your mind. What is it telling you? That instinct is often right.

Just as in my business law class, you may have studied the material and know that the information is already in your brain. When you use your knowledge in tandem with your instincts, you can retrieve that information quickly and accurately. Overthinking only disrupts the process, causing you to second-guess yourself and feel doubtful.

Tap into the part of your mind that knows. Use information alongside intuition, and don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Listen to the little voice in the back of your mind that tells you what is right. You’ve got this!