Stop Overthinking Your Next Move
This one shift will give you more clarity than any journal prompt
How many tabs do you have open right now?
Not on your laptop , though probably too many there too , but in your mind.
- Should you stay or leave?
- Should you pivot your career or wait it out a little longer?
- Should you move to that new city or just take a vacation?
- Should you start over or stay grateful for what you have?
If you’re anything like most of my clients, the question isn’t whether you want change. It’s whether you’re allowed to want it, and if you can trust yourself enough to act on it.
So you keep researching. You keep journaling. You keep making lists. And yet, clarity never quite arrives.
Here’s why: clarity doesn’t come from more thinking. It comes from movement.
The Illusion of Clarity
We tend to believe that clarity will come when we’ve gathered enough information, when we’ve worked through every scenario, or when we feel 100 percent certain. But that version of clarity rarely exists in real life.
What usually happens?
You talk yourself in circles. You get advice from five different friends with five different life paths. You sit on the decision until it’s so heavy, even breathing feels harder.
One client I worked with had spent over a year debating whether to change careers. She had a spreadsheet of pros and cons, bookmarked job descriptions, and had even written multiple resignation letters — never sent, of course. We worked together for one month. In that time, she didn’t find a perfect plan, but she made one real move. She reached out for an informational interview. Then she did another. And another.
The clarity didn’t come first. It followed her actions.
You Don’t Need to Be Sure. You Need to Start.
Most people wait to act until they’re confident. But the truth is, confidence comes after you take the leap — not before.
That doesn’t mean you should act recklessly. But it does mean you have to stop assuming that the only “smart” move is the one that feels safe.
Here’s the shift I teach all my coaching clients: stop trying to figure out your whole life. Start testing the next 10 percent.
Test, Don’t Decide
This is the approach I use in my coaching work, and it’s the heart of the self-guided system I built inside . Instead of obsessing over the “right” move, we run short, low-stakes experiments.
Let’s say you’re thinking about moving to a new city.
Instead of moving, try:
- Visiting for two weeks and living like a local
- Working remotely from that city for a month
- Setting up virtual coffee chats with people who already live there
Thinking about starting your own business?
Try:
- Offering a paid service to one client before launching a website
- Taking on a freelance gig on weekends
- Interviewing three people who’ve already done what you’re considering
This isn’t play-acting. It’s practical clarity. You’re not waiting for the answer. You’re finding it through experience.
Get Out of the Thought Loop
Overthinking feels productive, but it’s often a way to avoid risk. You stay in your head because it’s safer than acting. But nothing changes until something moves.
Here’s how to break the loop:
- Pick one area of your life that feels off
It could be your work, your relationship, your health, or even your creative life. - Name the change you’ve been circling around
Maybe it’s applying for a job in a new industry or having a hard conversation. - Design a micro-test
What’s one step you can take that would give you real data — not just another list? - Commit to a short timeline
Give yourself 7 or 30 days. Not a forever plan. Just enough to feel something shift.
You’ll be amazed how fast clarity shows up when you actually give it a chance.
The Clients Who Stop Overthinking Are the Ones Who Grow Fastest
They don’t have all the answers. But they do get honest. They take action before they feel ready. They check in with themselves, course-correct, and build self-trust along the way.
If you’re tired of spinning in your head, and you’re ready for accountability, structure, and momentum, that’s exactly what we build together in coaching.
Whether we work together one-on-one, or you use a tool like to guide yourself through the process, the point is this — clarity is not found, it’s created.
And you’re capable of creating it, even now.
Ready to Get Unstuck?
You don’t need another week of thinking. You need one small, honest experiment.
And if you’re ready to move from indecision to direction, I’d love to work with you. My coaching process is practical, grounded, and built to help you move - not just plan.
Medium readers get 10% off My Life Quest with code MEDIUM10OFF.
About The Author
Natalya Permyakova is an entrepreneur, life design coach, founder of , and creator of , a guided self-discovery tool that helps you create a life you love.
Explore more insights on or connect with her on . Want to work with her directly? .
