The Paralysis Of Analysis

You can't be a hundred percent sure of anything.

Today I have chosen to speak on a topic that critically influences not just our own personal lives but also that of our loved ones and every other person that we may interact with.

And this I would like to call the “paralysis of Analysis”

To begin with the paralysis of analysis can be defined as the state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation resulting in indecisiveness and thereafter paralyzing the outcome. So my attempt today is to motivate you on overcoming this situation and how we can support others to overcome this situation as well.

Let us start with something very simple. The core of analysis paralysis is the fear of being rejected or wrong or unaccepted. Nobody likes being wrong. The need to feel valued is an intrinsic human desire that manifests itself through the choices we make and how we communicate these choices to others. When it comes to making a decision, it is natural to want to be right & communicate these choices to others.

To help motivate you to avoid the pitfalls of paralysis analysis, we have 3 considerations.

1)      Curb your curiosity: the main culprit contributing to this state is the curiosity to dig deep into every new detail. Set yourself parameters for what you need to know & if the information you have now answers the call- it’s time to move forward.

2)      Recognizing that the moons will never align: no matter how many alternatives you possess- there is always going to be more. So remember that just because you arrive at one conclusion doesn’t mean you can never adapt to a new one.

3)      Stair-stepping your decisions: you see, in the military it doesn’t matter in which direction you move when under an attack, as long as you keep moving. The tiniest momentum can save you from paralysis.

 

Your indecisiveness does not only make YOU vulnerable, but also those that surround you.

This reminds me of the incident that was told by a public speaker who received a call few minutes before one of her performances and was asked “when I welcome you on stage, I’m confused with what I should refer to you as. Should I call you a researcher? A story teller? A sociologist? A people’s person or just a speaker?”

This left her in awe & she spent the next few days in confusion and deepening her courage on the question “who am I”

So you see, your thoughts can consume you and everyone around just like a chain of communication.

 

So my humble message to you is to let yourself be seen. Tell yourself that you are going to make this decision, deconstruct shame in any alternative, understand how vulnerability works & that you are going to outsmart it.