I tend to over-analyze the outcome when it comes to
making decisions. Analytical, cautious,
logical, planned, and indecisive are some words I would use to describe my
decision-making style. Indecision is a
word that does not look like it belongs with the other words. However, indecision is something that is a
result of being so analytical. I try to
play out all the possibilities that may result from the decision I have to make. That is, I take the known and possible
consequences and benefits into consideration, even if the likelihood of either
is slim. Does this mean I am paralyzed
with every single decision I have to make throughout each day? No. Do I find myself staring into my refrigerator for
hours when I am hungry, stuck between choosing whether I should eat some yogurt
or cottage cheese? No. There are obviously going to be some
decisions that will be much easier to make than others. However, when I need to make what I consider
a difficult decision, I can get a little crazy.
Also, the more time I have to make the decision, the more time I have to
analyze. This can be a problem because I
tend to become paralyzed with “what- ifs” and use all the time allotted until a
decision absolutely has to be made. My “what-if”
approach means I ask myself, “what if I decide A? Then the consequences will or could be B, C,
D, and the benefits will or could be E, F, G”.
Sometimes the combinations and possibilities can be a little
overwhelming because I put a lot of pressure on myself to make the absolute
best decision.
The opposite of my decision-making process would
consist of a reckless, illogical, impulsive, and decisive approach. These are hard to imagine incorporating when
I need to make difficult decisions. But
there may be some benefit to finding some middle-ground. Maybe this would allow me to take some
pressure off myself and become better at realizing making a wrong decision is
not the end of the world. I remember
doing a remodeling project on my entire bathroom a couple years ago. I had limited experience in construction, but
with my resources and willingness to learn (and of course the perk of saving a
few thousand dollars); I was ready to tackle it. Removing everything, including the walls, was
the easy part. The real challenge was
installation and making it look brand new.
I had friends and family laugh at me on numerous occasions because I
would constantly be in my “what-if” mode.
I found myself a bit overwhelmed because I would visualize all the
consequences of installing something a certain way. For example, “if we don’t use a self-leveling
compound before we do the tile, it will not be an even floor, then my vanity
will not be level, then my mirror will look crooked, or maybe the grout will
crack, or maybe the toilet will be seated to the floor properly, and I will
probably have an unhappy wife”. The
possibilities consumed me.
I think when it comes time to make some decisions in
the future; I will take the opportunity to be a little more impulsive and see
what happens. Believe it or not, this is
something I already work on, so I am aware.
I have to remind myself that it is not only alright to be wrong, but
sometimes being a little spontaneous with decisions can be a relief. A friend of mine always used to say, “in the
big scheme of life, is that decision really going to matter that much?” That
was his way of comparing world issues like disease, famine, war, etc…to say
making a wrong decision when it came to our budget. There really is no comparison. The impact of my decision is almost insignificant when compared to being faced with much more important things going on in the world. That may sound a bit negative, but I found I
would ask myself that question when faced with something difficult, it put me
at ease. Because regardless of our
decisions, life goes on, we learn, and we move forward.
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