We all sometimes feel blocked before making certain decisions. However, some people constantly experience this kind of problem. Here, we give some suggestions to prevent this from happening.
When you are indecisive, when you are faced with one or more options, you find yourself blocked by feelings of doubt. In fact, being frozen by indecision means that you cannot adopt a position that is consistent with your values and what you want and yearn for in that moment.
The problem with indecision is that it prevents you from living. Because life is full of decisions. Every step you take, every choice you make and every plan you put into action requires a decision.
So, if making decisions is a daily occurrence, why is it sometimes so difficult for you? Also, what can you do to stop being so indecisive?
The difficulty of making decisions
Making important decisions is often difficult and complex. This is often because you don’t have all the information you want, or the issue is so important that it is really difficult to process it effectively. So your decision-making process is interrupted when you are faced with multiple possibilities with uncertain effects.
Deciding also means giving up to some extent. After all, when you choose one alternative you are giving up other options. However, maybe you find it hard to give up and let go, so you experience paralyzing indecision. This is because sometimes decisions have consequences that you don’t want to miss. These circumstances make it difficult to choose an option and it takes time to do so.
There are other important reasons that can make you indecisive. For example
- Insecurity. You may know what you want to do, but by not trusting yourself, doubting your abilities and feeling insecure about who you are, you end up holding yourself back from making a decision.
- Perfectionism. The obsession with making the perfect decision can make you indecisive because you don’t want to fail or appear imperfect. This often comes from being raised in a family where mistakes are not tolerated.
- Fear of responsibility. Sometimes you avoid making decisions because you don’t want to be responsible if things go wrong. As a result, you let others make decisions for you without realizing that you are giving up control of your own life.
- External locus of control. You let ‘fate’, the situation or others decide, relying on factors in life to guide you. Therefore, you avoid making decisions because you believe that you have no control over your choice because you have delegated it to something or someone else.
- Being highly sensitive. Highly sensitive people tend to suffer from big changes.
How do you make decisions?
When the process comes to a standstill, you have problems of indecision and you get stuck in one of these stages:
- Situational awareness. You are faced with a situation where you need to make a decision.
- Identification of goals. You try to explain what you hope to achieve with your decision and how important the goal is to you.
- Information gathering: You are in the process of researching to find out more information.
- Identifying options. You are trying to recognize the alternatives available to you.
- Evaluating options. You are balancing the pros and cons, taking into account your own goals.
- Selecting the preferred option. You try to choose the best option according to your own assessment.
This process can become extremely demanding and tiring, making it increasingly difficult to make a decision. Therefore, you can try and delay or avoid it as much as possible.
Tips to stop being indecisive
Here are some tips to help you stop being indecisive.
1. Set clear goals
You may be indecisive because you don’t know where you are going, what you want or what your goals are. However, if you don’t know what you ultimately want, you won’t know which environment works for you, which doesn’t, and which decision is optimal and which is not. Therefore, you should clarify your goals so that you know which decision to make and at what time.
2. Let go of guilt
If you want to stop being indecisive, you must learn not to feel guilty about the consequences of your past decisions. This is because the fear of failing and feeling guilty again can make you avoid making decisions.
Remember that you cannot change the past. Instead, focus on what you can control and make a change now with your decisions.
3. Stop feeling insecure
Your indecision can be a clear sign of your insecurity. Therefore, you should work on your confidence and self-esteem.
Try to observe your flaws and weaknesses to understand which ones make you feel insecure when making a decision.
4. Regulate your perfectionism
If you are a perfectionist, you are likely to be indecisive. Indeed, an overdose of perfectionism can make you doubt or distrust your decisions.
To overcome this attitude, try to look at your situation from another angle and take a step back from what you’re doing.
5. Believe in yourself
Nurture your confidence in yourself. Lack of confidence goes hand in hand with an irrational belief that you are not enough or that you do not have what it takes to succeed in a particular task. Learn to accept yourself and believe in your abilities.
6. Stay away from toxic people
If your environment undermines your decisions, you may be an indecisive person. More importantly, if the opinion of others is important to you. However, remember that many people in your environment can be toxic, so you need to take steps to limit their influence.
7. Take responsibility for yourself
To stop being indecisive, you need to give yourself the opportunity to make mistakes. Remember that it is not always possible to choose the best option. Indeed, over time, you will realize that sometimes you make the worst decision. In fact, there will always be certain events that you will have to accept before you can resolve them.
It is not easy to give up indecision. However, the good news is that it is possible. Going to a psychologist will help you identify the source of your indecision. This is very important. However, remember that all changes take time and persistence, so don’t get impatient if the transformation you are waiting for takes some time.
