Sometimes you can control how something turns out. Sometimes, you can’t.

You only have so much energy in your life. If you dedicate your attention to controlling how one project turns out, you will need to let go of how the other projects turn out in that present moment. 

If you don’t, you’ll start to believe you need more time to think. Because you’ve already asked for more time, now the project needs to turn out perfectly—or else you would have wasted your time. So now you need to exert greater control over the project, so that it turns out well, which leaves you with even less time for the other projects. This is the trance of hesitation.

Overthinking feeds hesitation. Hesitation feeds procrastination. Procrastination feeds mental health problems and poor performance. This leads to an erosion of confidence.

The nice thing about the trance of hesitation is if you’re mindful, you can decide to wake up from it.

You can take responsibility for one project in this moment, focus on getting it done, and let go of the rest. Or, you can ask someone to help you with some of the other projects, and have them be responsible for them.

When you experience a jolt of inspiration, you can stick to it. You can create momentum by taking a small step. You’ll need to prioritize, and be okay with disappointing people. In the case of reversible decisions, you may want to start on a project before you get permission.

Whenever you feel stuck in your own head, the best way out is to start doing. That’s not an excuse to rush into thoughtless, impulsive, action; it’s a call to get started on something, take responsibility for building momentum and confidence, and learn from the experience.