How to stop overthinking

Plus: How to use a dynamic time function

August 22, 2024

Hey! Coming at you live from a 15-minute “writing sprint.” I got this productivity tip from author Julia Dahl, who wrote an entire book by writing for just 15 minutes a day. Isn’t it wild how tiny efforts can compound into something big? 📈

How to Use a Dynamic Time Function in Excel 

Ever tried summing hours and minutes in Excel, only to find it. just. won’t. work!? 🫠 Turns out, you’re not alone—this conundrum is widespread enough to prompt 19 million search results on Google. 

Let’s put an end to this confusion. Here’s a dynamic time function you can use that adds minutes and hours in Excel in a snap:

Step 1) In your desired cell, write the following formula: =B3+TIME(0,C3,0) 

Here’s a breakdown of how this formula works: 

Step 2) Close your equation and double-click to apply all!

All done! And if you ever need to change the start time or duration, the formula will automatically update. Don’t you just love a dynamic formula? 

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The One Question to Stop Overthinking (and Start Doing) 

If there’s one place we all spend too much time, it’s in our own heads—especially when we have a big decision coming up. 💭

Whether it’s deciding to move cross-country, pivot careers, or start a business, we tend to convince ourselves we need to consider every possible outcome before we make a final call. 

Yes, yes we do.

The problem? Hypothetical outcomes are both unpredictable and infinite. This means your tendency to overthink—even if you mean well!—can prevent you from moving forward and building momentum. 

As productivity YouTuber Matt D’Avella put it, “You can only find your big answers by doing.” That means getting out of your head and taking what I call messy action.  

Whenever I catch myself overthinking, I ask myself: “If I were to do this, what would the first step look like?” This question helps me stop fixating on a distant future (which triggers those “what if!?” anxieties) and instead focus on a small, tangible first step I can take today. For example: 

  • “If I were to run a marathon…I’d go for a small run this afternoon.” 

  • “If I were to become a creator…I’d shoot a simple TikTok on my phone.” 

  • “If I were to pivot careers…I’d reach out to someone in that industry to hear about their experience first.” 

Start small. As long as you’re getting out of your head and into your life, that’s progress! Now, it’s your turn: What would the first step of a big decision you’re facing look like? Hit reply and let me know. I always love hearing from you!

Thanks for being here! On Monday, I had a “pinch me” moment while working remotely in beautiful Switzerland with my partner, Mike (who’s also the CFO of Miss Excel!). 

When we first announced we’d be working together, we got a lot of unsolicited opinions. But two years in, it’s been the absolute best decision. 

Trust yourself—no one knows what's better for you than you. 

Stay Excelent, 

Kat