There was a time when I DREADED going to new restaurants.

Why?

Because I had to decide what to eat.

I know, I know that SHOULD be the fun part.

But for me, ordering from a standard menu felt daunting!

I’m sure I’ve made many a New York waiter feel like an Olympic power walker. 😉

While deciding what to feast on, I’d think things like:

“What if I order the pasta, and it’s not seasoned well?”

“I don’t think I should order fish on a Monday…but I’m really craving it.”

“I want EVERYTHING on the menu, I can’t make up my mind.”

I’d finally order anything just to get it over with.

And this my friend is ANALYSIS PARALYSIS at its best.

If you’ve ever experienced analysis paralysis I’m sure you can relate.

What seemed funny and cute at restaurants was actually the same cycle keeping me stuck in other areas of my life.

At its worst analysis paralysis causes you to miss out on life and cost you precious opportunities that impact your dreams.

:::You know that time when you wanted to go on that trip, but you waited so long the hotel got fully booked and the airline ticket prices shot up.

:::Or maybe, it was that time when you wanted to sign up for that program (you know the one that would really help you get ahead), but went back and forth on your decision and before you knew it registration closed, and you then had to wait another year for it to re-open.

:::Or that other time, you arrived at that event late because you spent so long deciding on what to wear, that the person you were hoping to meet left right before you arrived.

You might even have a laundry list of these stories.

I know I did.

So, what turned me from wishy-washy decision muller into a laser-focused decision maker?

The first shift happened was when I realized this.

That was a MAJOR EPIPHANY for me.

At that point analysis paralysis wasn’t cute anymore.

As a matter of fact, analysis paralysis was an inspiration crusher.

Analysis paralysis was a life thief.

But most importantly, I realized analysis paralysis was a dream killer.

If you’re struggling with this, this is what it means on a deeper level.

:::I you can’t decide on what to wear to the movies, how in the world can you handle what to wear on Oprah?

If you can’t decide what you want to eat for dinner, how will you handle deciding an entire menu for that fabulous event you’re meant to host.

If you can’t decide on whether or not to make an investment in a program, how can you handle the bigger investments you must make to reach your dreams.

Yup. This hit me like a ton of bricks.

It’s like learning to walk. If you’re still crawling it’s going to be impossible to start training for a marathon the next day.

In that moment, I decided that analysis paralysis wouldn’t have a grip on me any longer, and I started doing the work necessary to become the person I truly knew I was.

So what’s keeping you in analysis paralysis right now?

If you’ve got it in mind, I want you to do ONE simple thing.

Write down what NOT making a decision is costing you, and really take that in.

If you want further public accountability let me know in the comments.

I’ll leave you with this:

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