When Thinking Becomes Overthinking

When I was growing up, my family could turn something as simple as choosing a restaurant into a full-scale strategy session. We’d debate menus, prices, prior experiences, the atmosphere, even which servers might be on shift. We’d weigh every factor to “get it right.”

Hours later, we were usually hungry, tired—and no closer to deciding.

We missed the point: The reason we were going out wasn’t the food. It was to be together.

One clear intention could have simplified the whole decision.

One day, a friend casually taught me to just choose a restaurant based on your greatest need or wish in the moment. That simple focus would have dissolved all the dread of dining out.

It took me much longer to learn the same thing with other things though. In business too.

The Real Cause of Decision Fatigue

Most entrepreneurs think they’re overwhelmed because they have too many things to choose from. In truth, it’s the assumptions behind those choices that drain us:

• “I should be posting every day.”
• “A successful launch has to look like this.”
• “If I don’t make the perfect decision, I’ll fall behind.”

Each “should” piles invisible weight on your thinking. You end up running mental marathons that don’t move you forward. Decision fatigue isn’t about too many choices—it’s about too many unchallenged expectations. Once you’ve cut through these assumptions and become clear on your priorities, you can cut through your choices with confidence.

Psychology Today reveals similar findings in Is Decision Fatigue Real?. They say what feels like mental depletion may not be a loss of willpower at all—it may be the result of unclear priorities, rushed environments, and unexamined assumptions that hijack our focus. In other words, it’s not that you’ve “run out” of decision energy; it’s that your clarity has been buried under cluttered thinking.

When you start questioning those assumptions, something powerful happens: The noise in your brain gets softer. Decisions stop feeling heavy because you’ve stripped away what never mattered in the first place. What’s left is clarity—the kind that turns hesitation into forward movement.

Why Doing Less Isn’t the Only Answer

The common advice is to simplify your to-do list. And yes, fewer decisions can help. But if the thinking behind those decisions stays cluttered, the exhaustion returns.

If you could choose between gaining clarity and reducing volume, gaining clarity wins hands down. Gaining clarity is a result of refining focus. When you stop trying to make the “right” choice according to everyone else’s playbook, you begin to make choices that are right for you.

Imagine standing at a fogged-up window. You can’t see what’s outside, so you hesitate. The world beyond hasn’t changed—but when you wipe the glass clean, the path forward appears obvious. That’s what clear thinking does for entrepreneurs: It doesn’t give you new options; it reveals the ones that were already there.

The Entrepreneur’s Hidden Energy Leak

New entrepreneurs, especially those transitioning from structured careers, often underestimate how many tiny decisions they must make daily—pricing, marketing, messaging, timing, etc. But the real energy drain isn’t the large volume of decisions; energy is lost because there isn’t a filter for those decisions.

Without a clear decision-making framework, every question feels urgent and personal. You start equating each small choice with your self-worth or future success. The result? Self-doubt and paralysis.

A clear framework acts like an internal compass: It doesn’t remove all uncertainty, but it ensures your next decision always aligns with what matters most—your values, goals, and capacity right now.

Three Steps to Reclaim Clarity and Confidence

1. Name What Truly Matters.


Before analyzing options, ask: What am I really trying to achieve here?


Most “hard” decisions become straightforward once you clarify the outcome you actually value.

2. Challenge Every “Should.”


Whenever you catch yourself thinking, “I should…”, pause. Whose standard is that—yours, or someone else’s? Replace the “should” with “I choose to…” and notice how your energy shifts.

3. Decide, Then Refine.


Clarity grows through movement, not mental rehearsal. Make a choice based on your current best information, test it, and adjust. Each small decision builds evidence that you can trust your judgment.

These aren’t productivity hacks—they’re habits of clear thinking. When you build decisions on intention rather than assumption, confidence follows naturally.

Bringing It Back to the Table

My family never conquered the restaurant debate. But that lesson—choosing based on what mattered most—has since guided countless business decisions for me.

Every entrepreneur faces moments of fog: too many voices, too much advice, too much pressure to make the “right” move. The secret is to shift your focus inward to learn what priorities matter to you.

Clarity Starts Here

You don’t need another online quiz, hack or mental breakthrough to stop second-guessing yourself.


You need a solid foundation for clear, confident thinking.

Module 1: Entrepreneurial Fitness helps you build exactly that foundation—strengthening your mindset, sharpening your focus, and aligning your decisions with what truly matters.

If you’re ready to stop wrestling with every choice and start moving forward with calm certainty, this is where your clarity begins.

👉 Explore Module 1: Entrepreneurial Fitness