Have you ever felt indecision where you felt like you could not go one way or the other with a corrective action?  That being said, we have all felt this way!  I know that often life is busy and quick, and we are many times asked to do too much in this world of hectic professional and family life.   We all expect perfection everywhere in our days.  We expect it from everyone.  Sometimes we are not given the tools to reach perfection, and one very important tool is being able to decide what we need to do next.

Analysis Paralysis – Indecision can Begin with Too Much Information

Imagine you are in charge of a small project, that impacts many people on your team.  Why does this happen?  Not many people on your team knows how to implement the change, and many people need the change to occur.  They also expect the change to be perfect in its process and outcome.  They are expecting you to do this quickly.  You should not spend more time or resources than is necessary to create this positive effect.  How then, can you meet all these demands?  Sometimes, all the expectations create a deluge of market analysis, technical details which do not compare easily, and pricing terms that are hard to understand.  With a complex amount of data to review and compare, an unrealistic deadline, and a crazy amount of high expectations, it is no wonder that you can’t make a decision!  When you feel stress, uncertainty, and often times, a lack of control of your time frame, you will not be at your best to complete the project.

Indecision marked by uncertain ownership of the project

When you experience an inability to make a decision, you must be feeling stress.  Often this is from your lack of ownership over the problem.  And, you may be in a make or break situation, where you must find positive action or your results will be catastrophic.  The world will end if you don’t get the results your team or yourself are expecting.  Do you have control over what will happen if things go bad?  If not, your indecision will only grow.

Try to Own Your Project and Indecision Will Dissipate

If you decide you don’t care about the outcome, and will work diligently to the best outcome, then your indecision will come easily. Stop trying to control things that you cannot, and plan for the best outcome.  And, if you are not in control of the project, release it to the correct person.  Do not stress over things that you are not correctly able to manage.  What if you are not the responsible party, and not the effective leader?  Try to be a follower, and see if you can then come up with the decision.

All people find themselves in a fork in the road, an em-pass, or a challenge to their moral code.  It is not always the right path to let yourself make the decision alone.  Rely on your experience, sleep on it, and then take the most likely path to success.  You might find failure, but then you may never see the most perfect solution down the line.  Sometimes, you have to see failure to find the most effective solution to your problem.