6 Strategies for Conquering Overthinking Your Project

image courtesy of freddy alequin.

This post will illustrate six key strategies to help you conquer overthinking your project and guide you to finding the right solutions to keep you on track!

If you are reading this, chances are you are struggling with making a design decision for your home. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by the number of paint choices, or not sure if a type of flooring will work in your place. We’ve all been there...Rest assured you’re not alone, we have all felt stuck and overwhelmed by choices and our projects have paused because of debilitating deliberating (yeah... I really just wanted to say that), and “unstucking yourself is not easily done”, as the great Dr. Seuss once said.

Now, I realize how this looks... SIX DIFFERENT STRATEGIES?! How ever will I decide on which strategy to take to help get unstuck!? The irony of this post is that the faint of heart might just get stuck trying to decide which of the six strategies they should pursue to get unstuck...

Listen, making decisions begins with commitment. These strategies are here to help you find a starting point, a launching point by which to get your project on track. Don't get hung up on which strategy is best... there's a lot of diversity in life so we can't expect a one-size-fits-all solution. So find the one that you think will work best for you and start there. Let’s look at six different strategies we can use to help solve our project analysis paralysis and get ourselves unstuck!

Choose a Style

If you're in the very beginning phases of your project, the best place to start is to choose a style you love. Mix and match can work sometimes, but generally, a focused direction will give your project a cohesive look and a refined appeal. Are you drawn to a rustic style? Industrial? Bohemian? Start gathering those inspiration photos! We are drawn to Mid Century Modern style design, so we decided to choose only furniture with the iconic tapered legs, real wood, and walnut or natural finish. This way, even though we found most of our furniture second hand (and got some amazing deals!), it all coordinates and looks like the pieces belong together. Now, when searching for decor, we peruse Mid Mod Pinterest boards and have found a more focused selection of everything from planters to lamps, all of which will compliment our furniture selections for a unified look.

Process of Elimination

Throw out the ideas you are certain you don’t like for your home. If they didn’t excite you from the beginning there’s a very good chance that isn’t going to change. Physically toss them aside (paint swatches, brochures, magazines) and focus on the selections that did bring you joy. Delete Pins and whole boards from your Pinterest account in order to eliminate the amount of options. Getting rid of some of that information can help narrow your focus and bring you to the right choices. And throwing things makes the process much, much, more fun....

Get Curious

Have you discarded an idea or two for one reason or another? Many times they believed the scheme was “too bold”, “too trendy”, or they felt wouldn’t fit into their neighborhood. In this instance they haven’t seen every option they liked for their home. I realize this is the complete opposite of the process of elimination, but in many cases seeing those other options can lead to assurance of your previous designs or become the option you like most.

Take a Break

Step away from this project for a few days/weeks to clear your mind and give it a rest. I find this one the most helpful for myself. After I’ve been staring at a number of designs for long periods of time I tend to drown in the minor details. Taking a break and coming back to it, I’ll usually see one design stand apart from the rest. Like a lightbulb, AHA moment, the decision becomes more intuitive, and less complicated. Commitment needs to happen immediately afterwards however, if you ponder too long again, you can find yourself in a cycle, second guessing your decision once again.

Start Someplace Simple

This method is for the brave. Make a simple decision about one of the things you are sure about and commit to it. If you are excited about a flooring decision, sometimes it’s a good idea to commit and start. Like dominos, that will force you to make decisions on other parts of your home.

Phone a Friend

If Regis has stumped you, it’s time to phone a friend. Sometimes when we seek the consult of people we trust, they can help us through that difficult decision. Who knows us and our style better than our friends or family? While we respect their opinions, it’s important however, to not give too much weight to their insight because it’s not them who must live with the decision.

Conclusion

So let's get you unstuck. Have you identified a style you resonate with? Have you eliminated the ideas or features that don’t coordinate with your style? What about peeking at a few bold, possibly trendy options to be sure you are not missing an option? Remember, it‘s helpful to take a break and come back with a fresh look, commit to one simple project to start, and get some perspective from a friend. If you start with even one of these suggestions, you are sure to be moving forward and starting to check off those design goals! Happy designing and let us know if we can assist in your design decisions in any way!