Deep thinking is good, but overthinking can interfere with decision-making. Follow this advice to overcome three types of overthinking so you can move ahead and accomplish goals.

• Rumination. Rumination is a mental loop where you dwell on past events, particularly bad ones. Ruminators fixate on negative feedback and are overly cautious to avoid repeating mistakes. If this describes you, try scheduling a “worry time” for 15 to 30 minutes a day. Divide your worries into two categories: those you can control and those you can’t. For controllable worries, brainstorm possible steps. If it’s uncontrollable, try a visualization, such as placing the worry into a balloon and releasing it into the sky. When worries pop up, remind yourself that you will address them later during “worry time.”
• Future tripping. Future trippers plan for every possible scenario, are constantly thinking about what’s next, and are anxious about next tasks. If this describes you, project yourself into the future beyond the current worry. When an assignment causes you stress, imagine yourself—and the assignment—five years from now. The assignment is just one of many you will have handled and will continue to handle.
• Overanalyzing. Overanalyzing is an excessive dive deep into a topic. While it can lead to insights, it can also bog you down. If you delay action to research further, seek approval because you lack confidence in your analysis, or have difficulty prioritizing, you might be an overanalyzer. If this describes you, establish key decision criteria, three at most, and rank them. Once a decision meets the criteria, go ahead with it, even if a potentially better option might exist.

For more advice, read “3 Types of Overthinking—and How to Overcome Them.”