Perhaps there is a hidden silver lining to the recent supply chain issues?  It’s forcing people to make decisions and not get caught in “analysis paralysis”.  

I had a client who was once stuck on every decision, as small as which appetizer to serve to friends coming over for drinks, and as big as which city to purchase an investment property in.  But NOW with more limited choices - especially in the big things like homes and furniture – she’s saying “good and done,” and she enjoys the feeling of freedom it’s giving her!

In general, there are a myriad of choices for EVERYTHING, from breakfast bars, to jeans, to appliances and so on.  Analysis paralysis happens when we have TOO many choices (and access to too many internet reviews), and we subsequently put off making a decision or we just never decide.

For example, I have a friend who could not decide which vacuum to buy to replace her broken one. She read customer reviews, researched all the options, and watched for sale prices. In the meantime, the dust bunnies continued to multiply. Perfectionism made her want to purchase the exact “right” vacuum, but in the end, she probably spent 15 hours researching a $300 purchase which was not a good investment of her time or energy!

If you’re facing analysis paralysis first ask yourself “is this a small, medium, or large decision?” Try to match the time and attention you invest to the scale of the decision and the amount of risk involved.

You can base your scale on cost and/or impact. (For example, paint is not expensive but choosing the “wrong” color and hating it every day when you walk into your kitchen will have a large impact.) Small decisions mean a minimal investment of time and energy.

Then, give yourself clear parameters for each decision. Limit your NUMBER of choices; for example, “I will only look at four appliance stores,” or, “I will only test ten colors in my kitchen.” Limit your TIME to make that choice; for example, “I will choose my new car before the inspection on the old car is due next month.”

Oddly, many people decide on buying a home in less time than deciding on a sofa to put in that home! Are you someone who needs to see ALL the options and invest a lot of time in making a choice, or are you a quick decision-maker? I admit to being a bit of a perfectionist myself, but I am fairly decisive! What about you? Tell me by replying to this email or commenting in my FB group!