Do you ever over-think things? I sure do. I’ve often blamed it on my personality type (INTJ), or the fact that I play devil’s advocate a lot (something my sweet husband reminded me of just last night), but if you don’t examine every side of an issue or plan, how will you know what you could be missing, right?
But there’s another side to this over-thinking habit – getting stuck because you are too afraid to move forward. If I’m so concerned that I haven’t thought of every possibility, then I will never be able to step out and take a risk. Although details and facts are certainly important, there are times in life when over-thinking will kill the opportunity before you. Over-thinking has been my downfall more than once, and although not every risk will turn out well, you never know until you try.
The woman we’re featuring today identifies herself as “a recovering over-thinker” – a label I can definitely identify with.
Meet Shelley Row
Shelley is a registered professional engineer who holds an MBA degree, and is the creator of the Infotuition™ Cognition-Intuition Balance Model. For chronic over-thinkers, Shelley offers Infotuition™ insights based on personal interviews with over 70 leaders, backed up by scientific research and aimed at helping over-thinkers, like me, become better decision-makers.
About herself, Shelley says:
I have been an over-thinker all my life… and, I might add, an accomplished one. My dad, an air force pilot, taught me the value of thinking. That skill came in handy as I obtained degrees in civil engineering, architecture and an MBA.
I started as a transportation engineer in 1984 when women engineers were few. While working in several states including Georgia (for the 1996 Olympics), I learned to excel in a man’s world. But, I could tell the executives had something I didn’t. What was it? Finally, I realized it was the power of feelings – the nudge of intuition. It dawned on me…. You can’t think your way to the top.
Leaders used both intellect and intuition. They think, feel, and then, act. When I learned to do the same, I transformed:
- From a woman engineer to a woman executive,
- From a goal setter to goal achiever, and
- From having a dream to living my dream.
Anyone can do it. Really. Anyone. That means you!
Connect with Shelley Online
Find Shelley on: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn more about Infotuition™ by visiting her website.
Learn More from Shelley
Interested in getting out of the habit of over-thinking? Shelley has a lot of options to help you, including:
- Her book, Think Less, Live More – available on Amazon
- Bookmark her blog for regular reading
- She offers coaching and consulting services – contact her to learn more
- Sign up through our Buzz Building form for the opportunity to host a guest post from Shelley on your blog
You Tell Me! Do you over-think everything, or jump in quickly?
Carrie Koens joined the Weaving Influence team in May 2012 and has held a number of roles, including three years as the Book Launch Director (a title she stepped away from in June 2016 in order to focus on the needs of her growing family), and she currently serves the team as a Writer and Consultant. An INTJ with a penchant for culture, book stores, Parisian cafés, Indian curry, British mystery shows, and her passport, you can find her on Twitter @CGKoens.