Now that just sounds scary, doesn’t it? Analysis paralysis, according to Wikipedia, is when the fear of potential error outweighs the realistic expectation or potential value of success, and this imbalance results in suppressed decision-making in an unconscious effort to preserve existing options. An overload of options can overwhelm the situation and cause this “paralysis”, rendering one unable to come to a conclusion. It can become a larger problem when in critical situations where a decision needs to be reached but a person is not able to provide a response fast enough, potentially causing a bigger issue than they would have had they made a decision.
Yep, still sounds terrifying. The reality is almost everyone has experienced this at some point, including me, and while most of us experience this, we’re able to get a handle on it and work through to accomplish what we need to … or sadly, we end up just moving on to something different. However, I’ve had clients where this becomes a serious issue any time a project comes up. Even the tiniest pieces of the project plan become major issue points because they are over analyzed to the point that they become something big and overwhelming.
For clarification, there is a difference between thinking things through and over analysis. It is prudent in many cases to think things through to make sure all the bases are covered. The difference is people who think things through first end up doing them, whereas people that over analyze end up not following through.
So how do you break the cycle? Here are 4 tips to start you down the right road and help overcome your paralysis:
- Broaden your perspective: If you were tasked with putting a puzzle together but only allowed to see a few pieces at a time and without a full picture of the finished puzzle, do you think you could do it? Step back, broaden your perspective, realize that there is more to everything than what you’re focusing and seeing now; there always is.
- Set a strict time limit: Having an unlimited amount of time to come to a decision may result in a downward spiral of analysis and no decision is ever made. For small decisions, limit the decision time to 30 seconds or less; for larger decisions, allow thirty minutes to a few hours depending on the scope and importance of the issue needing deciding. Setting a time limit makes you come to a decision one way or the other. No takebacks, no do overs.
- Lower your overall stress: These last two are the most difficult but so important. Here are some tips for lowering your stress:
- Meditation and breathing exercises for 10 minutes a day
- Prioritize and organize. Breaking large tasks down into smaller, more manageable parts
- Avoid information overload. Set aside certain times per day to check email, look at social media, news, read articles, etc. No more than 3 times per day for limited periods of time (i.e. 30 minutes max, what’s left waits until the next time segment)
- If you spend a lot of time at your desk, make it a habit to get up and stretch, walk around the office, every 30 minutes or so for at least a minute or two.
- Accept that there are some things you just can’t control: It’s true. So instead of wasting time fretting about the things that are beyond your control, devote your time and energy towards the things you can. Otherwise you will end up frustrated, exhausted, and defeated because of all the time you wasted that did not change anything.
Even if you can only implement a few of these strategies, it should lessen your paralysis and allow you to move from over analyzing to thinking things through and then completing them. Do you have any other tips that might help? Share them with us here at Create 2 Sell.
Until next time … to your success!
Paige Jackson
Create 2 Sell