Procrastination in decision making

It is a common human tendency to put off what we are less in, and then panic when naturally faced with a time crunch. The crisis surfaces because we pressurize ourselves to avoid uncertainty; our minds are fuelled by fear even before encountering the problem, we feel fear. Harry Arthur Hoph rightly says “Often greater risk in involved in postponement than in making a wrong decision”. This literally means that a decision be it right or wrong should be carried out as it is better to have tried and failed than to look back and regret. 

 

Ways to arrest procrastination

Let us try not to be perfect. That will reduce our anxiety of not living up to higher expectations and so we can explore anything fearlessly. Anxiety makes us think of what can go wrong and its repercussions. So keep yourself safe from this thinking trap of catastrophising. It is also worth reducing the number of decisions we make in a day.  Studies show that we make close to 35,000 decisions everyday and 95% of those are made unconsciously. However, each decision we make has an energy consequence and we might end up not having taken a decision on an important one. Thus allocate time depending on the gravity of the decision you are taking. Take help from your parents, friends or others to be able to take a more informed decision, without getting confused with the multiplicity of options.

 

Strategy to overcome indecision

Start by giving yourself a deadline to arrive at a decision. Secondly, avoid the “analysis paralysis.” conundrum. Over analysis of a situation draws us away from action. In fact about  20 percent of the world’s population suffers from ‘aboulomania’ -a mental disorder in which the patient displays pathological indecisiveness. This happens mainly because we tend to rely too much on the opinions of others. Rather pay attention to your emotions and visualize the outcomes of your decision. Here  positive self-talk helps. However at the same time, think of the worst outcome and have your mind ready for it. This is a great shock absorber. You have fortified your mind not to let anything ruin it. In case there is still an uncertainty, it only implies both options are equally acceptable to your mind. Instead of deliberating further, you may simply flip a coin to decide. 

 

Your pathway in decision making

Navigate your way through clarity and empowerment of the mind rather than gasp in the maze of indecision. Undertake a root cause analysis of the situation by identifying the reason for indecision. Define and prioritise your goals so that your actions are aligned to the goals your have set for yourself. Rather than depend on only one person to help you decide, gather information from multiple people and weigh the pros and cons of each. This will give you a balanced, broader and pragmatic view. However, have the courage to follow your heart when you need to take the decisive call. Most importantly, take the action because that is what will give you the outcome. The decision may not come your way, but having the mindset to learn from the mistake can make you take a better decision next time.

 

About the authors

The article has been contributed by the following students from Our Lady Queen of the Missions School, Park Circus, Kolkata: Ritika Nag, Aarna Singh Chauhan and Debadrita Mandal.