Intuition vs Overthinking When thinking harder isn't the answer — listening better is Have you ever thought about something so much… that you ended up more confused than when you started? You make lists. You weigh up the pros and cons. You ask other people what they think. You go round and round in circles. And still… You don't know what to do. In this Five Minute Quickie, we explore a powerful possibility: Maybe you're not stuck because you don't know… Maybe you're stuck because you're thinking too much. Because beneath all that mental noise, there's often something quieter — a whisper, a nudge, a feeling that already knows. That's intuition. And the trouble is… Overthinking drowns it out. In this episode, I share: why overthinking feels productive — but often keeps you stuck what intuition really feels like (hint: it rarely shouts) how clarity comes not from more thinking, but from listening two personal stories where I ignored intuition… and where I trusted it why your unconscious mind may already know your next step And perhaps the biggest takeaway: You don't need more information. You need less interference. This FMQ is the seed for a deeper dive where we'll explore how to recognise intuition, trust it, and act on it without slipping back into overthinking. Because maybe… The next step isn't something to figure out — it's something to feel. Please share : https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-534-intuition-vs-overthinking/ Have more fun than you can stand. Go fly. Shine Brightly 🌟 Paul Hey there! I'd love to hear from you—questions, feedback, requests—all welcome. Drop me a line or leave a comment. If you've enjoyed this episode or any other, please share and subscribe! You can reach me at feedback@personaldevelopmentunplugged.com. Subscribe to the Podcast Ready to subscribe? Click here to explore your options. Or, if you're on Apple Music or iTunes, you can go straight to subscribe or leave a review here. Special Programs for You For tools on developing Supreme Inner Confidence, finding Freedom from Anxiety, or specialized Hypnosis Tracks, visit PaulCloughOnline.com. Free Hypnosis Tracks Want access to my FREE hypnosis tracks? Head over to paulcloughonline.com/podcast. Connect with Me Follow me on Twitter: @pcloughie Remember: I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. This podcast and any of my online resources are for educational purposes only. Never use the hypnosis tracks or exercises if you're operating machinery, driving, or if you have epilepsy or psychiatric conditions. Always consult a healthcare provider if you're unsure. Find Us on Other Platforms Catch the podcast on Spotify, Castbox, iHeart Radio, YouTube, or on our Libsyn page. Stay tuned, and keep shining brightly. ✨ Music Credits Music by Wataboi from Pixabay, Music by DreamHeaven from Pixabay, Music by ccjmusic from Pixabay, Music by freegroove from Pixabay, Music by prazkhanal from Pixabay. Music by prazkhanal from Pixabay. Music by will |Marshall from will marshall. And the transcript WARNING if you're a lover of the written word this may make you frustrated, or angry - you have been warned - is it an 'ism Hiya. Paul here again on the 5-Minute Quickie, Personal Development Unplugged podcast. Trusting your intuition or overthinking. Question for you. Have you ever noticed how the more you think about something, the less clear it becomes? What if the reason that you feel stuck isn't because you don't know, but because you might be thinking too much? Have you ever had that gut feeling, and then bloody talked yourself out of it? I know I have. You see, you do know. You do know. You do know, but, I don't know, maybe you don't trust it. Thinking might equal trying to control something too much. Intuition is, you know, maybe allowing direction. The thing is, overthinking drowns out what's already there. And what happens? What happens? You go round in bloody circles, don't you? Round and round. You get the pros and the cons list. And I'm still not sure. I'm an options person. I write options and options, and I think I'm getting clarity, but I'm not. You can ask everyone. Ask as many people as you like. Still don't know. I'm still not sure, am I? Have you had that? And the thing is, all of this, you delay taking some action. Moving on. Because, you know, it's, I don't know. We're just waiting for certainty, I guess. And the more you think, the more you think, think and think, the further away the bloody answer feels, doesn't it? But, you know, there's a thing about overthinking. There is a thing that we think about when we're overthinking. It feels that we're being busy, doesn't it? It feels a bit noisy sometimes. We get urgent, and then we start looping in our bloody mind, don't we? But what does it, you know, what does intuition feel like? What does it feel like? Sometimes, for me, anyway, this is me. See if it resonates with you. Intuition feels, I don't know, maybe it's quiet. Certainly very simple, isn't it? Calm. I think sometimes it's certain, but it's not very loud. It whispers. And then sometimes it's like a nudge. A nudge. It's nudging you in the right direction. As I said, it whispers, it doesn't shout at you. And the thing is, here's the thing, here's the thing. You're not trying to find the answer. That's where it all goes wrong when we're overthinking. You're not trying to find the answer. You're trying to hear it, to feel it, to make sense of it. And thinking too much just blocks out that bloody signal. You see, you don't need any more information. You've got all the information you need. You need less interference. Because clarity doesn't come from thinking harder. No, it doesn't. It comes from listening better. Listening to yourself. Because it's all in there. You just have to be quiet and listen. Because you've done the work. You see, I don't know, here's a question. Take a moment, just take a moment for a minute. What happens if you just pause? Just pause and notice what feels right. Just if you stop analysing just for a moment or two. What would you do next? That's different, isn't it? And on that feeling, what's the first small step that feels just right? That feeling that feels just right. Yeah, you see, we've talked about this before. We've talked about feeling lost. Now, this might be one of those reasons why we just feel lost. But the thing is, question, maybe you're not lost. I don't think you're lost. Maybe you're just not listening. It's a thought. So, deeper dive coming up. How do you tell the difference between intuition and overthinking? How do you tell the difference? How do you learn, or how do you first of all trust that quiet voice? Learn to trust that voice, the voice inside. And then how do you act upon it? Without second guessing yourself and going back to the overthinking. You see, that's where we're going. That's where we're going on the deeper dive. We're going to get some clarity, get some understanding, and learn to trust. You see, you and your intuition, your unconscious mind, already knows. You've done the work, you see. And now all you have to do is get out of the bloody way. So, maybe the next step isn't something to figure out anymore. But something to feel, learning how to feel. Less thinking, less thinking, more trusting. You see, I can remember just very quickly, if you bear with me just for a moment. I can remember a long time ago, somehow I wanted to have a narrowboat, one of those boats that go on a canal. And I got the opportunity, out of the blue, to own, or part-own, one of those narrowboats. And it had been a goal of mine for ages and ages. But, you know, something inside me kept saying, I don't think this is right. I should have, if it was right for me, or it was my goal that I really wanted, I should have been able to say yes straight away, and I didn't. It took me about three or four days going backwards and forwards, overthinking. And I didn't listen. And I didn't feel. I didn't follow that feeling. And to be honest, bought the boat, it was a disaster. Everything, it started okay, but then it just went completely wrong. Didn't listen. Then, there's the opposite of what happened to me. And this is years and years and years ago. When I learnt hypnosis. And I thought to myself, I am not a people person. I'm not interested in people. Well, I'm not interested, I was in it for business. But something inside kept feeling, there's something here. There's something to carry on, to learn more of. 25 years later, here I am, I'm still learning. It's absolutely wonderful, the things it's allowed me to do. The people I've seen, the people I've worked with, the changes I've been around. They've been magical. Not magic, but magical to be part of it. And I listened. And whilst it felt, this is, logically, it didn't, it didn't, this is not you, Paul. But inside, there was that little feeling saying, this is the real Cloughie. Take a step. And I did, and I say, it's actually 26 years now. 26 years later, I'm still taking steps, learning, enjoying, sharing with you. So come with me. Come with me on this deeper dive. So we can all learn to think. But most of all, step aside and listen. And make good decisions, good choices. So come with me on the deeper dive. We're going to have fun. There'll be a process, at least one or maybe two processes, to really get you to, you know, be there with yourself. I'm looking forward to it. I really am. We're going to have some fun. In fact, we'll probably have more fun than we can stand. Have fun. Enjoy. Tell everybody, by the way, share it. Do whatever you can to just share what you know. And if this has interested you, other people will be interested too. B
