Decision Paralysis

I might even overthink the overthinking

We love choices but also fear choices.

We fight for freedom of choice but also are afraid to choose. Who has not experienced the feeling of helplessness and borderline depression when it’s our time to make a major decision.

Our gut is telling us “Go for it!”, but our brain is telling us “Hold on!” Unable to decide who to listen to, we press pause and postpone the decision…until the thought bubbles up again and we are forced to hit repeat on the emotional rollercoaster until a decision is reached.

But why are we doing this to ourselves? Why can’t we just decide? What holds us back? What are we afraid of?

Well, I think the answer is fear — the fear of making a wrong decision, the fear of the unknown and the fear unable to turn back. Haunted by fear, we hope that someone could come to rescue us by deciding for us. Yet, why are we then fight for the right to choose?

Fear should not hold us back.

While it might not work for all but works for me, is to run through the worst-case scenario. Accepting the worst outcome of any decision takes away the pressure and often the worst outcome for us is not necessarily that bad. Take choosing your uni, your career, your job, etc. as an example. Once you made the decision and it’s not to the liking, there are always options to change. So ultimately while having the option to choose sometimes might scare us, having the ability to choose also gives us the opportunity to change for the better.

So if you ask me, go with your gut.