Paralysis of Analysis

#decisionmaking #overanalysing #makingplans

To all my logical thinkers out there; I want you to learn to use your logical mind as a springboard and not a limiting factor.

If you are considering starting up a venture, and/or simply taking a step into a new skill, relationship or role – preparation is most essential. Yet, your preparation is to make you aware of potential pros and cons, but still motivate you to cross the threshold.

How do you prepare so that you can still adequately motivate yourself? Make sure your plan has a clear list of the following:

1) Pros & cons list (simplify this list)

2) What is driving you to take that step

3) What you won’t achieve if you do not take the step? (the what if). In other words, what if you don’t take the step

The last part of this plan will help you to know what is at stake!

Depending on how you work, what motivates you will be different from what you’re hoping to achieve – letting yourself consider what is at stake for you will give you the extra umph to take the step even after in depth analysis.

There is an extra question in there if you struggle to find the zest to jump; What is the one biggest thing that is stopping me? This will help you to start to recognise one of your limiting beliefs.

You can then re-frame the planning questions to analyse that limiting belief, like this:

Q, What is stopping me?

A, What my family will think of me.

Q, Pros & cons of believing this:

A, Pros: 1) I need the support of my family. 2) It shows I love my family and regard what they of me.

Cons: 2) My personal belief of is shaped by outside factors and less of my internal belief. 2) This limiting belief is perceived and not actually real. 3) I may never end up getting to really engage in what I need to without external approval….

And on like this

Q, What is driving this belief?

A, I have always thought this way.

More probing Q, Since?

A, Since my X (a name of someone relevant here) disapproved of something that I really enjoyed doing.

More probing Q, And what did that do

And on like this till you hit rock bottom

Q, What won’t you achieve if you don’t take this step

….

Get to the bottom of your limiting belief, so that way you can do something about it!