Feeling stuck on decisions.

You are in the middle of a deep change and you know you have quite a few options you are keen to consider but somehow you feel stuck in a rut. You feel trapped in an endless loop of "what if this, what if that" scenarios and you are so overwhelmed that you end up failing to make any decision at all. You are experiencing what is defined as analysis paralysis.

Analysis paralysis can cause a lot of distress. Psychologist Barry Schwartz coined the phrase "Paradox of Choice" to describe his consistent findings that, while increased choice allows us to achieve objectively better results, it also leads to greater anxiety, indecision, paralysis, and dissatisfaction. Instead of feeling empowered by our choices we go down the rabbit hole ending up experiencing complex and unhelpful feelings and thoughts, which turns out to be an endless vicious cycle where thoughts create feelings and feelings create thoughts. This constant overthinking - as it has been proven by plenty of research in psychology and neuroscience - can be detrimental to our own productivity and well-being. It is not just about losing time.

Our working memory - which is what allows us to focus on the information we need to get things done at the moment we are doing them - is in limited supply. When we face a high-pressure and anxiety-producing situation our performance on cognitively demanding tasks?- the ones that heavily rely on our working memory - decreases. Anxiety and pressure tend to generate distracting thoughts that end up taking up part of the working memory.

Overthinking keeps us from reaching our creative potential and significantly reduces our willpower, causing us to experience what psychologists have called "decision fatigue". It is important to remember that our willpower is a finite resource, it is like a muscle. The more we use it, the more it wears out, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

Overthinking makes us less happy. We can be either "satisficers" or "maximisers". Being a satisficer means we prioritise an adequate solution over an optimal solution. Being a maximiser means we want to make the best possible decision. Research suggests that whether we are satisfier or a maximiser can have a huge impact on our happiness and well-being. Studies have found that Maximizers report significantly less life satisfaction, happiness, optimism, and self-esteem, and significantly more regret and depression, than satisficers. They are more likely to engage in social comparison and counterfactual thinking and experience more regret and less happiness after making a decision.

When we are facing with a big career decision, what is at stake is something important to us that is strictly connected with what we believe and value. No wonder why we experience a mix of complex emotions that can hold us back from taking action.

If you want to break out of analysis paralysis and move forward with your career change (and any other change in your life) you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What is causing you to overthink?

Maybe something you decided to do in the past did not work out as you planned and the memory of it still resonates, causing you to doubt yourself to make the right choice this time. Maybe you are worried about what other people will think about your decision. Maybe the outcome of your decision will have a big impact on your future or relationships with the people you love. Identifying the possible causes of your overthinking will help you contextualise and approach your decision from a different angle, providing you with further insight.

• How will you look back on your decision in 10 year's time?
• Will your future self see it with regret for not giving a try?
• Will your future self shout at you or be gentle and compassionate?
• What would you advise a close friend living the same experience as you now?
• What is your definition of success and how does your decision relate to it?
• What feelings do you experience about your decision?
• What facts do you have to support your decision?
• What implications will your decision have?

These are some questions that you can use to make an assessment of each option you are currently contemplating in your mind. Then, the most powerful question in my view is:

• What could you do now to expose yourself to external feedback?

Identifying and committing to take one small action will interrupt the limbic system - the part of the brain involved in our emotional and behavioural responses - and help you test your decision while enriching your career - and life - experience.

#decisions #decisionmaking #analysisparalysis #change #uncertainty #careerchange #careertransitions #lifetransitions