Managing Overthinking (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Various Contributors & HBR Editors
Harvard Business Review Press (March 2025)

Do people tend to over-manage or under-manage their thinking? The answer is “Yes.”

This is another volume in one of the several series of anthologies of HBR articles previously published by Harvard Business Review Press. The focus in this one is on managing overthinking. If you were to purchase each of the ten articles as a reprint, the total cost would be about $90. The cost of this volume if purchased from Amazon is only $10. That’s not a bargain. That’s a steal.

If you are looking for world-class material that offers cutting-edge thinking on the subject of DISCIPLINED THINKING…and from a single source…look no further.

For example:

o “How to overcome three types of overthinking,” by Melody Wilding

o “Why people overthink when under severe pressure,” Stan Beilock

o “How to stop dwelling on severe stress,” Jenny Talktz

o “How to manage ‘inner chatter,'” Alison Beard

o “How perfectionists get out of their own way,” Alice Boyes

o “How to stop worrying about always making the ‘right’ decision,” Ed Batista

o When to stop deliberating (agonizing over) and make a decision,” Thomas Davenport

o “How to start trusting your gut,” Melody Wilding

o “Here are simple ways to stop obsessing over mistakes made,” Alice Boyes

o “Here’s how to build more breakthroughs each day,” Kim Christian and Suzanne Vickberg

* * *

Everyone makes mistakes. Some people make lots of them or repeat them or deny them. Here’s what some oƒ them have to say about it:

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a peak performer makes the most valuable mistakes.” John Wooden

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” George Bernard Shaw

“People think computers will keep them from making mistakes. They’re wrong. With computers you make mistakes faster.” Adam Osborne

“The mark of a wise person isn’t never making mistakes — everyone makes plenty of them. Rather, it’s the ability to quickly admit — and fix — them!” Whitney Tilson

“If you have the guts to keep making mistakes, your wisdom and intelligence leap forward with huge momentum.” Holly Near

“Failure is good. It’s fertilizer. Everything I’ve learned about coaching, I’ve learned from making mistakes.” Rick Pitino

“I think making mistakes and discovering them for yourself is of great value, but to have someone else to point out your mistakes is a shortcut of the process.” Shelby Foote