You know that feeling when you’re paralyzed by indecision? When you just can’t seem to make a choice because you’re overthinking every single possibility and outcome? If you’re nodding your head right now, then you’re in good company. Overthinking is something that plagues even the most successful people. But the good news is, there is a way to stop it.

Why We Overthink
The first step to stopping the overthinking cycle is to understand why we do it in the first place. For many of us, overthinking is a form of self-protection. We don’t want to make the wrong choice, so we keep mulling things over and over again in our minds, looking for some kind of guarantee that we’re making the right decision.

Of course, the problem with this way of thinking is that there is no such thing as a guarantee in life. No matter how much we try to control the outcome, there are always going to be variables that are out of our control. And the more time we spend overthinking, the less time we have to take action and get started on actually living our lives.

How to Stop Overthinking
So if overthinking is holding you back from living your best life, what can you do about it? Here are three tips:

1. Trust yourself.
You know yourself better than anyone else does. So instead of second-guessing yourself all the time, learn to trust your instincts. When you have a gut feeling about something, go with it. More often than not, you’ll find that your intuition was right all along.

2. Make a decision and stick with it.
Once you’ve taken some time to think things through, it’s important to make a decision and stick with it. Indecision is just as crippling as making the wrong choice. So even if you’re not 100% sure that you’re making the right call, have faith in yourself and go for it. Remember, experience is the best teacher. The more experience you have, the better equipped you’ll be to handle whatever comes your way

3. Let go of the need for perfectionism.
There’s no such thing as a perfect decision—or a perfect anything, for that matter. Instead of beating yourself up for not being perfect, focus on learning from your mistakes and doing better next time around. After all, mistakes are part of being human. Embrace them and use them as an opportunity to grow into the best version of yourself possible.

If you’re someone who tends to overthink things, know that you’re not alone—but also know that there is a way out of the cycle of indecision and self-doubt. Trust yourself, make a decision, and then take action towards achieving your goals. And finally, let go of perfectionism—it’s nothing but a waste of time and energy!

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