Note to reader: This is not an article about the medical condition of paralysis, in case you were looking for one and ended up here. That being said, now that you are here, READ ON!
Define your priorities, set them straight, and be clear about what you want? – Everyone I ever met
The Options Paralysis
Whenever I go to a wedding (I don’t receive invitations, my dad just tells me I have to go… SIGH!), I enter the venue and first notice the number of cuisines set up there. Another gem in my family puts in terms of money and always asks, “Are they rich?”. It may look like we are being materialistic, but honestly, we are not. There are two types of weddings with respect to food: No Variety and Too Much Variety. What we are trying to avoid is the paralysis of choice.
About making choices in life, we often find ourselves in one of the following two situations:
- When we don’t have a choice, a.k.a. Helplessness
- When we have too many options, a.k.a Confusion
Having too many options can cause a dilemma, especially when one is as good as any other. It delays making crucial decisions, and nothing gets done. The answer to this problem lies in one sentence:
Eliminate your options one by one
I know you were hoping for something else, but it’s true, rather than considering all the good options, try to find their flaws. Trust me, the flaws are there; you only need to look carefully. For instance, this becomes critical when picking a career. There are too many options to choose from. Let’s say you narrow it down to digital marketing as I did; you will see more opportunities for selecting a specific area. It’s never-ending
Paralysis of Things
Recently, there has been an emerging trend of creating your bucket list. A list of things you want to do but have yet to do. The idea is to check off items from that list and feel happy about it.
Chances are, as a kid, you wanted to be a professional cricketer or some sportsperson (if you are one, you are lucky!). Still, reality struck, and you gave up on your dream. Children into performing arts like dance, music, or theatre usually cannot pursue it as a career. However, it still remains a hobby in their mid-twenties. Someone might have suggested trying standup comedy, which is a rage now.
These are some of the items on my bucket list that I want to do and do them seriously, not just once. Here’s the problem with having such a to-do list:
- It takes away attention from your job, which you are being paid to do.
- It makes your work less enjoyable because the fun hides in that list.
- Should you have a list like mine, it contains many things that render you incapable of doing any of them properly.
I will deal with the first two points in another post. It’s the third point that bugs me the most here, and here’s why:
I have been thinking of starting this blog for so long, but I have gotten around to it. I wanted to create a YouTube Channel and my podcast, take seminars and pursue digital marketing. There was too much planning but little action from my side.
I was in a state of paralysis and couldn’t do any of these rights. I wanted to do everything, but nothing got done. There are a couple of reasons for that:
- Most of the stuff I wanted to do was just something I wanted to experiment with because I liked the idea. There was no particular reason for picking up that project except that it sounded fun and exciting.
- When you have such a long list, what do you do first? Where do you devote your time? That alone is enough to stop you in your tracks.
The answer to the Paralysis of Things is:
Just Get Started
Getting Things Moving
Let’s take blogging, for example, in my intro, it says I write about a lot of things, yet this is my first serious post on this website. Why is that? I am still deciding what topic I want to write on first. So after much deliberation, I decided to start with the paralysis I experienced. I realized it is vital to get started and let the wind take you where it does until you figure out how to sail the boat yourself.
The way to overcome the paralysis of options and things is to choose one option and start. Start with something you like, something you find easy or challenging, or something new you need to learn about. Start, and things will begin to fall into place as you move forward.