Nothing kills creativity like overthinking things. And I am the lord and master of overthinking things.

Far from being an impressive skill, overthinking is a trap that sucks you in and keeps you frozen in fear as you try to predict any and all outcomes.

It’s a ruiner of cool new projects and opportunities.

It’s an accelerant to the blazing infernos of self-doubt and anxiety.

And we need rid of it, bro.

After I managed to psych myself out and ruin my own enjoyment of a recent project, I went on the hunt for articles to help me ‘get out of my own head’ and into the game. But I came up short and was left floundering around on my own.

So let’s try and make something useful here, shall we?

Why are freelancers prone to overthinking things?

One word: uncertainty. Freelance life is fraught with it. Every client is different, every job is different, and projects can change in the blink of an eye.

In a way, overthinking is a form of self-preservation. If you can plan for every outcome, you’ll never be caught off guard.

When you’re the head honcho of a business, the buck stops with you. You need to deliver at all costs because your reputation and your pride are on the line.

So we plan, plan, plan.

No one wants to be caught in a tough client confrontation, so we try to imagine every possible outcome. If he says A, I’ll answer with B, but if he says C…

Sound familiar? Here are some things I’ve tried when I start getting into my head.

Tricks to try: how to stop overthinking things

1) Believe in your own ability

This is number one on the list because it’s the one thing I forget every single time. The majority of my worry comes from a deep-rooted fear that I won’t be able to do the work properly or — worse yet — I’ll do it and fuck up.

There’s little to no evidence to support this fear. But it still gets me every time.

After years of practice (and extreme failure), I’ve developed a way to avoid this particular flavour of overthinkery. I look back over my career successes and good client feedback. It’s a good reminder of what I’m capable of. Remind yourself how quick, logical, and capable you are. Because you really are.

2) Don’t become a self-fulfilling prophecy

A wise man once said…

Okay, he’s not strictly a ‘man’. But he is wise.

When you paralyse yourself with fear, you become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will clam up, you will freeze, and you will fail. Sometimes the very threat of that happening is enough to slap me around the face and jolt me back into action. If I don’t loosen up and let go, things will go much harder for me.

So, listen to the little green man. Don’t let fear lead you to the dark side, my Padawan.

3) Stop ruminating, start acting

Going around and around in circles inside your own head isn’t helpful. It doesn’t get anything done, either. So let’s try and change of tact — swap to active problem solving rather than mental acrobatics.

I write out all the things that really bother me about starting a new task and then I address them logically one by one. If something really is a problem (a problem within your control), then think about ways you can take action to solve it. Make a plan. Hopefully, this should give you a sense of control and ease your worries.

4) Learn to go with the flow

To be happy and content in a freelance career, you need to bend and flex as much as you can. Assume no plan is set and everything is subject to change.

Plan for what you can and don’t be scared to ask for what you need, be that longer deadlines, more information, or a higher fee for rush work.

So what do you think? Useful or no? Find me on Twitter and share your comments!

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