Analysis Paralysis... Get out of your own way
How to make a decision when you are stuck
As I re-entered the workplace after a 9-month break, I was presented with two job offers. My initial excitement turned to confusion and doubt. This time around I decided to learn how to hack my mind and stop the cycle of rumination. Read on to learn how you can do the same.
Compare each option to your values
Values are beliefs and highest priorities that drive behavior and are important to the way you live and work. They include things like kindness, contribution, being in nature, spending time with family, and being healthy.
If you do not know your values, check out this website and others to consider what your values are:
https://www.scienceofpeople.com/core-values/
What was your gut reaction/ choice?
Many times our gut is guiding us but we get bogged down in mental chatter. Once we receive too much information we become overwhelmed. Go back to the basics.
It may also be helpful to ask what you want right now, and not what you are fearing about the future. What would you choose if you were living in the now and ignoring the what-ifs? Intuition is often linked to the now. Fear is when we worry about the future.
Change your mindset: choose again, stop being a perfectionist, and experiment!
Give yourself permission to choose again: Nothing is permanent. Our mind sets up barriers and creates a sense of permanency that is not true. Acknowledge that you can choose again. This advice was given by Dr. Tarryn McCarthy. See her link below.
Acknowledge that perfect is an illusion. I found myself searching for perfection. By realizing that this is a limiting belief, I was able to see that there is no perfect option. Continuing to do excessive research will not provide a sudden aha about the perfect answer.
Reframe the decision as an experiment: When we reframe a decision as an experiment, we remove the expectation that there is a right and a wrong. Instead, we can think of things as an experiment, knowing that whatever outcome happens will give us valuable information.
Last resort: flip a coin
One of two things will happen... You will decide and end the cycle of rumination. Or, you will realize what you really want when you see the outcome of your coin toss. Either is a win!
Links from this article:
Dr. Tarryn McCarthy: podcaster, mom, orthodontist, coach: https://www.thebizofhappiness.com/
Book: Don't Overthink It by Anne Boge: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Overthink-Easier-Decisions-Second-Guessing/dp/0801094461
