Rescue yourself from the spin of indecision

Have you ever been at a crossroads needing to make a decision, yet you’re just spinning?  We all have.  The key to moving forward in times like these is knowing the best time for you to make that decision.

I once knew a woman who detested making decisions. Too many choices made her feel helpless and inadequate. The efforts were overwhelming and she usually ended up with her head in a spin. She eventually devised a strategy to endure her worst gargantuan decision-making ordeal: buying groceries. 

After muscling her way through the shopping list, her last stop was always the florist department, or flower bin, to choose a bouquet reward for herself.  After making hundreds of decisions, she wanted the last one to bring personal pleasure. Thus flowers.

It was the only way she could get through it. 

Had she not devised a life hack that ushered her through the spin of indecision, she might still be wandering the aisles by the canned spinach.

The spin of indecision

The spin occurs when we wrestle between one appealing choice versus another equally appealing choice.  Or it could be the opposite, to choose the least unappealing option. We could be swamped with too many choices; we could be scraping for options.  Aaaahhhhhh!

We. Can’t. Decide.

When we are stuck in the spin, we rationalize our avoidance of making that decision. We tell ourselves we’re leaving our options open. After all, who knows what last minute bit of information might change the entire direction? 

The spin of indecision is a special kind of procrastination. Even when we have options, we’re still stuck, and we can’t move until we make a decision.  And as we all know, sometimes, that can be a slippery slope to abandonment.

We might rationalize and tell ourselves we need more time. Then we postpone our decision and put everyone else’s needs to the wayside. We burn up our brain time playing out scenarios.  We lose sleep.

The spin consumes energy, it destroys trust, and it diverts attention from the rest of our lives. Finally, we end up choosing the thing we knew was the right thing from the start.

To avoid spin

The key to avoiding spin is to name our desire. Left to our own devices, and because we are creative, we imagine disaster and failure in every possible scenario. We all need a North Star to guide us. 

Our desires keep us grounded and provide a direction to our dreams. I invite you to let your longings have a voice, perhaps through journaling, making art or confiding in a trusted friend or life coach. When we know what a YES looks like, then a no is easier to spot.

To move forward at a stronger pace, it helps to remember:

Pay attention Not only to your thoughts, but especially to your body. Your body is a wise teacher and will send lessons important for your growth. Here’s a lot more about attention.

Act before we’re ready We’re never ready. There are always the holidays coming or taxes to get done. The lawn needs mowing and the laundry needs folding and that report is due at 3:00.  There will never be time, we will never be ready. The perfect time is always now. Rather than ponder a choice, act on it.  

Take the smallest possible step When we gaze upon our desire and take the smallest step possible to bring it to life, one of two things will happen. Either we’ll make a teeny bit of progress toward that desire. Or, we’ll realize that’s perhaps not the direction we want. When that happens, the loss is small and the course is easily corrected.

When should you decide? Every day. Make teeny choices and take teeny steps, and the spin will lose momentum. Not every decision alters universes, most are mundane, but they all count.

Decide then act. Practice makes perfect.

You might even reward yourself with flowers next time you stop for groceries.