Analysis Paralysis
Thanks to technology, the internet, and the industrial revolution, we now live in a world where we have access to a bottomless pit of information, options, and resources at our fingertips. Even seemingly banal choices, like what brand of tomato sauce to purchase, what shade of white to color our walls or what color scheme to choose for our wedding, can easily stall us in our tracks, causing us to feel overwhelmed when evaluating which options to between. If we already struggle with such smaller decisions, how much more challenging would it be when we are faced with more important life decisions, from who we should date and marry, to what jobs and career paths to take.
While we’re fortunate to live in an environment of choice and freedom, the downside of having the benefit of so many options, choices and possibilities (thanks internet!) is analysis paralysis, or the phenomenon of becoming overwhelmed to the point of stagnancy and immobility. It’s the “paradox of choice” where the consequence of having too many options and choices increases our anxiety, indecision, and dissatisfaction.
The more options there are, the more opportunity costs we need to choose and decide from, overall adding a bigger mental and emotional burden. When this happens and we’re overthinking and over analyzing, here are a few tips on how to combat the overwhelm and get back into productive action.
mono-task, instead of multi-task: take a breath (!) and break it down by focusing in on thing at a time. Many times, our minds are operating like a bunch of tabs open - because our society and marketing has been designed to be attention seeking, distracting and engaging. Start by opening and closing one tab at a time (metaphorically speaking), and slowing down. By mono-tasking and tackling one thing at a time, you’ll be force to break down bigger decisions into more bite-sized solutions.
reprioritize: ask yourself, what is most important in the moment, right now? What do you really need to focus in on, and what can you let go of? Shift your mind into reprioritizing your high priorities, and put the others into perspective. When unsure, always resort back to your personal values; your north start is there to guide you.
cut out the noise, and go back to the basics: instead of continuing to seek external advice and wisdom (i.e. going down the Google rabbit hole or seeking advice and validation from everyone else), turn inwards. You have all the answers within you. Outside, you’ll find a full spectrum of perspectives out there supporting the wide range of beliefs, which can only add to the confusion. Learn to tune into your intuition, trusting the voice inside your head and heart.
take it one step at a time: make a decision and move on; lingering or dwelling on past decisions will keep you in an analysis paralysis state of mind. In the wise words of MLK: “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”