Analysis Paralysis

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Analysis Paralysis
Theresa Rose (June 4, 2009)

Do you ever find yourself obsessing over a problem, issue or potential opportunity on a project, unable to move beyond it as dozens of seemingly unanswerable questions swirl around your brain? If so, you may be suffering from that common affliction in the modern workplace: analysis paralysis. Here are a few steps to help you move back into action.

At some point we have all found ourselves in the crushing grip of analysis paralysis, a dreaded condition where we simply can’t make a decision no matter how much we want to get to the end zone. We convince ourselves that we don’t have all the facts, the timing isn’t quite right, something bad will happen if we take action, or we just haven’t conjured up the right solution yet. These feelings of unreadiness and unsteadiness cause us to squander precious time and lose our peace of mind. What is the root cause of this all-too-prevalent mental malaise? It is our own egos.

The ego convinces us that we haven’t done enough legwork because of one reason: it doesn’t like the unknown. Imagine your ego as a person who is deathly afraid of heights. It would rather remain firmly, safely planted on the ground instead of jumping out of an airplane to experience a thrilling skydive. When you are about to embark on something new, your ego senses that change is imminent; in its panic, your ego will betray you if you allow it.

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