Wading Through Analysis Paralysis
Analysis paralysis is my downfall. If you’re unfamiliar with analysis paralysis, it is the term used for someone that over analyzes or over thinks a situation so much so that forward motion or decision-making is “paralyzed.” Rather than taking a step forward, someone with analysis paralysis ruminates and in turn, remains right where they are.
I alluded to this in my I’m The Problem post. In some areas of my life, I’m very decisive. Once I make up my mind, that’s that. No turning back. At work, for instance, I make a decision on my client’s behalf, and I’ll go down with the boat if I have to. When I made the decision to move back to Nashville, that was that. I was moving back to Nashville. Even back when I decided the University of Tennessee was where I’d be finishing my Bachelor’s degree, there was no room for doubt. My mind was made up.
Then we have “this” space.
This little slice of the internet of mine has been a lot of things.
It started as ‘Wears Inappropriate Shows’ which chronicled my college adventures. It changed to ‘Music City Sarah’ when I headed to Nashville post-college. Then it was ‘Back Home Blue’ when I moved back to my hometown and eventually, it simply became my name.
Those transitions made sense. They came at natural times, after big transitions. From college to young professional, from Nashville to Charlottesville, from trying to live up to a moniker to being okay being who I am.
Here’s the thing.
I have so.many.ideas.
So many things I want to do with my little slice of the internet, so many things I want to build and dream and do and become. Here’s an incomplete list:
- Tell stories – my own and those of others.
- Start a podcast.
- Publish books.
- Coach – fitness, health, and mindset.
- Write about music and Nashville.
- Share the things I love.
- Do digital marketing.
So.many.things.
I sort of tell stories now, mostly my own. I write all the time, but I haven’t published anything yet. I needed a break from coaching, but I miss it now (and it’s coming back soon!). I share music and about Nashville, but I started a whole Instagram account – Music City Sarah (part deux!) with the intention of reviving the former Nashville/music journalist in me, but I’ve done nothing with it. I sometimes share the things I love, but not on any notable scale. At least I do digital marketing – it’s my full-time job, and I love it.
Every week, I’ll think “this week, I’m going to revamp my website, write a few pieces of content, shoot some content for social media, and draft a newsletter.” At some point I mark it as a task for the weekend, you know, when I’ll “have time.” Then the weekend comes and goes and I may have started a post or half-wrote a social media caption, but then it’s a new week and we start the cycle all over again.
Analysis paralysis.
A symptom, if you will, of analysis paralysis is excessive planning. I am an excellent planner for this space. I have notebooks and agendas and spreadsheets upon spreadsheets. I even have an entire Asana account dedicated to this space. So many plans. No execution.
Analysis paralysis.
I don’t know where to start, so I don’t. I want to do too many things. So I do no things. It’s a cycle that I’ve been stuck in for a long time.
Breaking out of analysis paralysis requires, you may have guessed it, action. But first, you have to recognize it. I recently did that. I named what’s holding me stuck in this pattern of inaction: “analysis paralysis.” The next step is to take action, even if that action is messy. Part of that is making decisions and sticking to them. That’s where I’m at now – prioritizing which item(s) on this above list that I want to actively pursue over the next few months and then taking action towards them, even if that means other items have to sit and wait their turn. That’s another part of moving through paralysis analysis – focusing on the few instead of the many.
Why am I sharing this?
To document my journey, mostly. I want to be able to look back at this post and say “this is where you made the pivot from standing still to moving forward.” I guess it’s to keep me accountable, too. I tend to do much better when I have things “out there” for people to refer back to and ask me how I did when it comes to achieving them.
I also want people to read this and recognize that analysis paralysis is a thing and they are not alone in their indecision. I posted a few Instagram stories discussing my struggle with indecision and I got so many DMs from people that could relate or else who had been there and offered their advice, some of which was excellent. I know I’m not alone in my analysis paralysis and I hope, if you find yourself in a similar boat, you know you’re not either.
My indecision has been named. My focus is being narrowed. Analysis paralysis? You’re not getting the best of me any longer.
