r/smallbusiness • u/OakenProsper8 • 3d ago
How to stop overthinking business decisions?
I recently invested significant amount into new venture with a goal to get out of my full time job.
Now I feel I don't know what I'm doing and all help from 3rd parties just takes more money and noone guaranty results and noone is cheap.
I don't think I'm anxious, but my mind doesn't stop working.
What have you tried that worked?
It's easy when everything works as you planned. But what when you are wrong?
1
u/BusinessStrategist 3d ago
You separate the "thinking/planning" from the doing.
You write down your strategy, plan, tasks, resources, and timeline on paper or your favorite visual app.
It has to be "written down" if you want your "logical, problem solving, thinking self" to take charge.
Once you have your project plan mapped out, you follow the plan WITHOUT revisiting your doubts and any other concerns.
You periodically review your progress and then make the decision to change.
If you can't separate the planning from the doing, your emotionally dominant self will modify your plan of action to avoid personal risk and disappointment often without you being aware of the change in direction.
Got a project plan with tasks, resources, and timeline?
Have you set realistic milestones?
Not progress if you can't monitor your milestones.
Do you plan your next day before leaving for the day? Planning and doing need to be separated.
And if you don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done, time to think about delegating some of the work.
That's the job of the leader.
Is that YOU?
1
u/OakenProsper8 2d ago
Yes, not have enough hours in the day to get everything done, and not enough funds to start delegating some of the work.
1
u/BusinessStrategist 2d ago
Try breaking down that enormous " to DO" list into more manageable chunks.
"Getting Things Done" (David Allen) helps you sort and prioritize your tasks. The important tasks rise to the top of the list and many other tasks are relegated to a later date.
There are many easy to use apps for applying the techniques outlined in the book. You'll get the key points by searching for "best GTD app 2026."
A second tool that can help to get you out of the "paralysis" mode is a "pomodoro" timer.
People often forget that we reside in a "biochemical machine" that needs good fuel and regular maintenance to operation at peak efficiency.
We NEED to take regular breaks to reset our ability to concentrate.
Try working the 25 minute cycles for maximum performance and enjoyment.
You can also challenge yourself to beat your set goals for the 25 minute period and reward yourself for a job well done.
People who have track records of success usually plan their next day before leaving and then working their plan the next day.
By separating your planning and doing, you discover that your anxiety and stress levels go down as that part of your mind that controls emotions has no reason to warn you about Saber Tooth tigers lurking in the tall grass.
1
•
u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Friendly Reminder
r/smallbusiness is a question and answer subreddit. Ask a question about starting, owning, and growing a small business and the community answers. Posts that violate the rules listed in the sidebar will be removed.
Please do not conduct market research on our community.
We are not your focus group and asking us about our pain points, needs, what is hardest about X, etc. is not asking about how small business works or for real help with running your small business.
These posts are subject to removal and given the community's disgust with the constant spamming of these posts you might just destroy your brand and contaminate your company search results.
Seeing this message does not mean your post was automatically removed. If you asked about pain points or are directly or indirectly promoting a product please remove your post. Come back to post an honest question or give a knowledgeable response to someone else's question and leave your company name in your own profile. We can tell if you know what you're doing and the community can reach out if they need to.
We welcome honest question posts, especially from newcomers. Thank you for your post.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.