The Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions: How to Make Decisions without Losing Your Mind

by Joseph Nguyen

New York Times Bestseller!

From the author of the international bestseller Don't Believe Everything You Think comes a companion guide that transforms the paralyzing cycle of overthinking into clear, intuitive decision-making.

Your brain is wired to overthink decisions—not because something's wrong with you, but because you care deeply about making the right choice.

If you've ever found yourself trapped in endless loops of "what if," analyzing every option to exhaustion, or seeking everyone's advice while still feeling lost... this book is your way out.

The Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions breaks new ground where "just trust your gut" advice has failed you. Unlike traditional approaches that leave you stranded between endless analysis and vague intuition, this book provides a counterintuitive system that bypasses the overthinking loop entirely.

This isn't about making perfect choices. It's about making aligned ones from a place of clarity instead of chaos.

This step-by-step guide will show you exactly how
Identify the surprising neurological root of overthinking and how to stop mental spirals before they hijack your mind Apply the step-by-step TRUST framework that walks you through any decision, leaving you with absolute clarity on exactly what to do Use the revolutionary SAGE method to break through analysis paralysis in minutes, transforming overwhelm into a single, clear choice Instantly distinguish between your intuition and fear when making any decision Silence external opinions and reconnect with your inner wisdom so you hear your own voice louder than anyone else's Transform paralyzing fear into psychological freedom, creating space for choices that were previously unimaginable End the exhausting replay of past decisions, releasing regret and creating genuine peace with your choices Develop unshakable emotional resilience so you can make bold decisions knowing you'll thrive regardless of the outcome Recognize actualized the transformative choices that create the deepest peace, growth, and alignment in your life Uncover the hidden patterns behind your choices with over 70 powerful journaling prompts, reshaping how you decide from a place of alignment, not anxiety Implement 20 ‘Mini Trust Experiments’ that build decision confidence in just days, using low-stakes everyday choices to rewire self-doubt patterns

This book isn’t about fixing your mind. It’s about freeing it.

You don’t need more advice. You need to trust yourself again.

This book won’t tell you what to do. It will help you remember how to listen to the one voice that’s always known.

Yours.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Audiobook, Personal Development, Mental Health, Professional Development

192 pages, Hardcover

Published November 11, 2025

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

can’t decide how I feel about this book.

says a lot about how it failed to achieve what the title sets out.

[Dr. B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could’ve easily been a blog post instead of a full book!

I really wanted to like this book, but the constant repetition drove me crazy. While the tone is friendly and easy to read, there’s very little real value. If you’re looking for something short and to the point, this isn’t it.

[Amanda NEVER MANDY · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Your peace does not need to be sacrificed for someone else’s comfort.”

I didn’t love the journaling/worksheet shit, but I loved everything else. It is a bit repetitive, and it doesn’t need to be as long as it is. I know many will gripe about those things.

I would recommend this book to experienced self-helpers looking for a voice to reassure them that they are on the right path. It really is that hard to make yourself a priority. People like to fight against it and make you feel awful for the decisions that you make. Stay true. I promise it is worth it.

“Those who truly love you want your authentic happiness, not your compliance.”

Three stars to a book that gave me the boost I needed.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very basic, cursory glance into taking a step back, practicing some breathing techniques, and thinking objectively before making a decision. It wasn't anything profound, but I did still enjoy the audiobook.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. It’s a short but insightful read that encouraged me to take a closer look at how and why I make the decisions I do, and what’s influencing that process. I found myself highlighting 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 statements that genuinely resonated with me.

Yes, there’s some repetition throughout, but that didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I think there’s real value in it. Sometimes hearing the same ideas phrased in different ways helps them truly sink in.

The bulk of the book (about 60%) is dedicated to guided worksheet space, walking you through the TRUST decision-making framework. The same exercise is repeated 50 times, allowing you to apply it to multiple real-life decisions, big or small. The final section includes low-stakes exercises to practice making choices with less pressure, which I found really helpful.

Overall, I found this book both practical and grounding. Joseph offers a gentle, self-aware approach that brought me a lot of clarity and awareness around my own decision-making habits.

Special thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Authors Equity for the gifted copy

[Heather Daughrity · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of this book receives five stars. The pages are full of gentle yet firm guidance on why we choose based on fear and simple ways to change our mindset. I found much of the information and instructions to be inspiring and helpful.

The second third of the book is mostly workbook pages the reader is intended to use daily, weekly, or whenever a difficult decision pops up in their lives. This section contains a lot of repeated information from the first third of the book. Roughly half of these "worksheets" are the same exact preface and questions, intended to be filled out as needed (there is also a QR code to download and print these worksheets).

While I found the information and guidance on the first third of the book useful, I was annoyed that so much of the book was simply repeated instructions and questions.

If you're looking for a short introduction followed by a workbook format, you might enjoy this one. If you're looking for deep psychological writing and scientific understanding of the curse of overthinking, look elsewhere.

[Olivia G · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5. Maybe I completely miss the point of self help books, but it feels like every one is like "lol don't actually worry about your anxiety babes 🤪." I actually took stuff away from this one but for so few pages, it acts like it can solve very very complex issues in such a simple manner. Maybe it can but (like most other self help books I've read recently) it seems to ignore how complicated the world can be. The author seems very nice so I feel bad giving it a mediocre review.

[Lydia Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contained some good truths in it. However, I would not recommend this book to someone who is pretty self-aware. Also, it was a bit too new age for me.

[Morgan Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

So short so it was like why not read this and I think it’s got a lot of good little nuggets of wisdoms or whatever in there about reframing overthinking and I think if you owned a copy, looked at it consistently and did the exercises it would help a lot but I’m not doing all that I just wanted to see what this book was about. if I fall into a pit of overthinking later in life I’ll know to come back to this book 📖 👍

[Oz Lubling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book pure gold. The message is profound and applicable to some many people I know. I think the point of this being a book and not a blog post is so you can use it as a reference time and time again. I definitely plan to do that. highly recommended!

[Elisabeth Aubut · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short book offers helpful insights, although not revolutionary, into how fear and perfectionism lead overthinkers to struggle with decision-making. I appreciated the reminder that clarity often comes after we start moving through small, imperfect decisions, as well as the practical tools and self-talk prompts at the end. The reframing of “good” and “bad” outcomes was also helpful, acknowledging that difficult paths can be blessings in disguise. Though written from a secular, humanistic perspective, it still encouraged me to reflect on trusting God more in the outcomes of my imperfect decisions.

[Krystal Myrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot better in physical form. Do I think it will help me make decisions? Meh. Will I remember things from it? Yes, possibly. I am glad to have reread it.

[Anthony Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changed my perception on critical thinking

[Aagje Trompert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Veel open deuren. Moest er alleen even doorheen lopen

[Snezana Cook · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is obvious this book is largely written using AI, so much so I gave up reading it after a few chapters. I find it ethically and intellectually insulting to pass off such work as one’s own without full disclosure that it has been heavily assisted by AI. Besides which I abhor the generic AI tone so prevalent in many pieces of writing. It is a pity because I think the author may have a few useful ideas.

[Billy Claunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page 1 - 64 was great, the rest was an in-depth workbook of self-analysis about how and why you overthink, which I did not complete. So, I guess maybe I’m not an over-thinker overall? I’ll give that some thought. Seriously though the first 64 pages were fantastic and worth getting the book. I will likely read them again.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acabo de cerrar este libro y siento que, por primera vez, mi mente finalmente se quedó en silencio. No es el típico libro de autoayuda con pasos lógicos y aburridos; Joseph Nguyen te habla como un amigo que te ve agotada de tanto pensar y te dice: "Ya puedes soltar eso, el problema no eres tú, es el ruido".
Lo que más me voló la cabeza es cómo Joseph desmenuza nuestra relación con el pensamiento. Él plantea una verdad que duele pero que libera: no sufrimos por nuestras circunstancias, sino por lo que pensamos sobre ellas. A través de sus páginas, vas entendiendo que la "parálisis por análisis" no se cura pensando más, sino aprendiendo a entrar en ese estado de "no-pensamiento" donde vive la intuición pura.
La narrativa del libro te lleva por un viaje de autodescubrimiento donde los "villanos" son esos miedos que disfrazamos de prudencia. Joseph explica que cuando intentamos tomar una decisión basados en el miedo al futuro o el arrepentimiento del pasado, siempre vamos a fallar, porque estamos decidiendo desde una ilusión. Me encantó cómo detalla que nuestras mejores decisiones —esas que cambian la vida— siempre aparecen cuando dejamos de forzar la respuesta y permitimos que la claridad llegue sola.
Un detalle que me marcó fue su explicación sobre la "sabiduría innata". Todos la tenemos, pero la tenemos enterrada bajo mil capas de "debería" y expectativas ajenas. Al final, el libro no trata de enseñarte a elegir entre la opción A o B, sino de enseñarte a confiar en que, elijas lo que elijas, tienes la capacidad de navegar cualquier resultado. Es una invitación a dejar de vivir en el "qué pasaría si" y empezar a vivir en el presente.
El cierre es una liberación total. Joseph te deja con la sensación de que ya no necesitas ser una experta en logística para vivir tu vida. Entendí que la paz mental no es el resultado de tomar la decisión correcta, sino la base necesaria para poder decidir. Me voy de este libro sintiéndome mucho más ligera, con menos listas de pros y contras y con mucha más confianza en mi propia voz.
Si sientes que tu cabeza es una radio que no se apaga nunca, por favor, lee a Joseph Nguyen. Es el manual de instrucciones para recuperar tu cordura que nadie nos dio al nacer. 💛

[Sam Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful, reassuring read for overthinkers. The concepts are easy to understand, and the exercises are practical and useful. It’s the kind of book I can easily refer back to when I start overthinking decisions.

[Sadie Glassford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t know it was mostly a workbook… a little misleading. Plus, if you’re a little self aware, you probably have done some of these exercises already without having to be prompted. I’d say read Nguyen’s first book, and stop there.

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and useful guide. Audiobook also has a podcast at the end with the author.

[Cecilia Lopez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

las primeras 60 pgs están muuuy buenas, para mi gusto le hubieran agregado más de eso porque el resto es como un workbook y si no lo haces en el momento luego da hueva

[Darren Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at the airport as I'm a serial over thinker. Enjoyed reading the initial chapters - there are lots of memorable quotes, however, it does become very repetitive and over half the book is worksheets/exercises - probably didn't need to be that long, or expensive! It is a nice hardback book but 17 GBP was steep

[Sarah Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to dislike this book without overthinking it or losing my mind.

For those new to self help it might have value but there’s a lot of recycled material in it for the seasoned reader.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nguyen correctly points out that the root to overthinking is fear, and specifically the fear of what others think of us. I think his diagnosis is close to target. His prescription is less helpful. He slips when he asserts that the cost of trying to make everyone else happy is your own happiness. This may be fine, but he takes it down its logical course to do things that makes one happy and to trust one's own emotions and intuition. The framework he provides reinforces his conclusion. I don't think it is a reasonable one because it basically is a repackaging "follow your heart" and similar bad advice which leads down the road of narcissism and selfishness.

[Peter Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has to rank as one of the most useless books I have ever attempted to read.
The usual waffle at the start of a self help book to pad it out.
But the real issue I have is that according to the author our heart and intuition always knows what to do - fear stops us.

My example of why I found this advice useless:
My workshop is a mess - for many reasons it could do with tidying. But I have many interests and each time I reconfigure it, it doesn’t work as I cannot predict what I will be doing next.
Now to many people they will say - it is obvious. Not to me. I try logic. That has limited success. I have no intuitive or emotional solution.
We are all different and for many people, this book’s advice clearly works.
My mistake was forgetting that there are rarely simple solutions.

[Meg Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fluff for me. No substance, and contradicted itself within the same chapter at times. I wanted more from this book - it’s “worksheet” type formats for the second half or so.

The bits on intuition too were just not helpful for me anyway. It’s sort of embed in the book philosophy too, ‘you’ll know what the right decision is.’ I enjoyed the stoic elements and the idea that you should base decisions on the life you want to create for yourself.

[Gleb Berloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a genuinely life-changing book.
This had a decisive, and positive, impact on my wellbeing. I'm one of those people who indeed agonises over making decisions almost all of the time.
The foundational message of this book caused this agonising over making decisions to nosedive and has caused a significant reduction in my stress levels as a result. Additionally, the chapter on avoiding people pleasing and happiness was also life-changing.
Despite the low rating (which in my opinion is not justified), I can definitely say that so far, this is the self-help book that has had the biggest and most significant positive impact on my wellbeing.
The chapters are very brief, digestible, and easy to read, which is a bonus if you're stressed all the time!
Extremely highly recommended.

[g · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conversation at the end, if you’re listening to the audiobook, is proper lovely!

[roberta trevino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo ameee!!! Me ayudo mil me identifique en milll cosas que dice, quería highlight todoo literal

El unico pero que le pongo es que al final es mucho para journaling asi que lo termine haciendo en mi journal pero lo AME