Let’s look at how to let that go now!
Indecisiveness Can Be Crippling
I once worked with a sweet natured woman who had a lot of issues with self-esteem. As she became more confident, she realized that her friends didn’t see her.
They never asked her what she wanted. They assumed she would go along with what they wanted.
And when we talked about this, she realized it was because she never had an opinion. She was indecisive. So it was easier to let other people make the choices and simply go along.
She didn’t like being left behind, overlooked, and feeling like she was tagging along. And as she began asserting herself more, some friends didn’t like sharing equal space and equal time. Others loved it!
Most of all, she loved it. She loved being a player in life rather than a follower or an afterthought.
And you can do that too!
Why Are People Indecisive?
If you know what’s going on, it will be easier to spot and stop it.
Perfectionism
It takes a lot of time and care to make things perfect.
People Pleasing
Making others happy may create a habit of not knowing what you want.
Need More Intel
Sometimes we need more data to make an informed choice. However, paralysis from analysis can happen when there is too much information.
No Practice
If your parents did everything for you, or told you what to think, you lack practice in making decisions.
Overwhelmed
Getting bogged down with details can be overwhelming.
Fear
“Oh, gosh! What if you fail!” This can keep you from moving forward.
So How Do We Kick the Indecisiveness Habit Fast?
How you do anything is how you do everything. Practice.
Practice what?Approximating success. You’re already making decisions right now. You probably decided to get up, what to wear, what to eat, whether or not to go to work, and how to spend your time right now.
So you already make decisions. Most of them have had no ill effects. So congratulate yourself on what you are already doing well.Go with it. Most things don’t require a lot of thought. There is little at stake if you buy the red thing or the blue one. It doesn’t matter a whole lot if you eat Italian or Chinese. o give yourself thirty seconds, then pick something and move on.Don’t look back. For a lot of indecisive people, it’s not just the anticipation of making a decision, there is also the torture of ruminating over whether it was the right one. Don’t look back. You’re not going that way. Commit. And let it go.
Talk it out. If the choice before you has something at stake, it’s okay to talk it out. Give yourself permission to have no more than three conversations about it. More than that and you will either be wasting time and repeating yourself or muddying the waters with too may opinions.
Do limited research. Gathering data is wise if you are making a technical choice or one with huge implications. Having sound data can give you peace of mind.
So, let a limit and then go with your gut. People who trust their gut do so because it’s not failed them. You can develop this confidence too with practice.
If you make a poor choice, let it go. It’s one in a lifetime of choices. It’s alright.
Finally, track your progress. There is something magical about seeing a spreadsheet or list of all the decisions you make where nothing bad happens, and maybe something even fabulous happens. That’s validation that you are an awesome decision making machine!
If you are going to lead your own life, you have to be able to make choices confidently. No one else can do that for you. So, get in the driver’s seat and let’s go!
And if you need help with that, come on over to the Let It Go Now Community. That’s what we do.