Paralysis by Analysis

is defined as a state of over-analysing or overthinking a situation so that a decision or action becomes impossible to take, the first step forward on a project is never taken and effectively 'paralysing' the outcome.

I think at one point or another we have all suffered from it. Whether it be in our personal life or our worklife. For me it hits me with most things I do because of my anxiety issues, I find myself in a form of hypervigilance most of the time. Not a great way to go about things but I try everyday to improve my mindset, and I figure that is at least a move in the right direction.

At this present point I think the one thing that is getting me off centre is my weight and my apparent inability to lose weight at the moment within the physical limitations of my heart attack recovery.

There are a few things worth considering when trying to break yourself out of this cycle of paralysis.

Identify your goal

Figure out what it is that you want to achieve with your actions. This is necessary for you to be able to plan out the path and direction that you will undertake.

Set a timeline to meet an objective

I once had a boss that rather inelegantly said that you need to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Well that plan never worked for her and I feel sorry for the elephants.

But the basics of the saying are true. To meet the objective or goal that you want to reach you need to set a timeline, in that time line I find it good to break it up to mini goals, steps of which you take to meet the goal. Having smaller mini goals to concentrate on will stop you feeling overwhelmed.

Don't be afraid to seek advice and the opinions of others.

People like myself, that encounter this issue can for the most part be introverts, and slow to trust, however it helps to be able to open lines of communication with others to give you advice and help you towards your goal. Don't be too afraid to ask for help, you will likely find your friends are more than willing to help you on your journey to success.

The Devil is in the Detail - Don't Sweat it

When you fixate on the details you are likely to stop yourself seeing the whole picture and will end up sending yourself along the wrong path if you are not careful. I find that if I just hash out the rough idea of a thing it lets me see the whole picture without getting completely overwhelmed by it.

Just Keep Moving - One Step at a Time is Better Than No Steps

It is scary how much our brain will fight us when we aren't really sure of our direction. I find for myself it will try and make me stop what I am doing, so that I can think about it and get locked back in my old patterns of behavior.

The best solution for this issue for me is to make sure that I don't lose forward momentum. One step forward is always better than one step back. So I just keep on going, even if I can't shake the hesitation because I know it is like being a shark, if you don't keep swimming your done for.

Thanks for your support and comments.