Have you ever had a decision to make and found yourself trapped in an endless loop of “what if this, what if that” scenarios? It’s an uncomfortable feeling to encounter, especially when your decision is an important one.
You might spend so much time thinking about all the choices you could make and their associated outcomes that you never actually end up landing on one. That’s analysis paralysis; the feeling of being so overwhelmed by the decision making process that you become paralyzed by your options and fail to reach a conclusion.
Now while analysis paralysis sounds like an almost deadly diagnosis, it’s not always weighty decisions that actually bring about this phenomenon. In fact, perhaps the most famous example of analysis paralysis in action comes from a report which studied consumers purchasing jam. (Yes, like jam on toast.)
In the Jam Study, market researchers stocked grocery store shelves with 24 varieties of jam and then invited shoppers to sample the jams and select one to buy.
A day later, only six varieties were stocked and offered. The study found that consumers were 10 times more likely to purchase jam if they were presented with only six choices instead of 24.
Psychologists say that analysis paralysis stems from anxiety; or more specifically, a fear of making the wrong decision. When we’re presented with too many options, we weigh up an endless number of variables whilst imagining potential downsides to all of them. In the end, it becomes impossible to identify the best option from the rest. So instead, we avoid choosing one at all.
Back in 2008 Dr. Barry Schwartz coined the term “Paradox of Choice” to describe the phenomenon that causes humans to be so indecisive. Essentially, he found that while increased choice allows us to achieve objectively better results, it also leads to greater anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Sometimes we may not even be aware of our internal anxiety, but an over-abundance of choice simply makes us apathetic and unwilling to commit. Part of counteracting analysis paralysis is recognizing this phenomenon in ourselves and trying to inject our intuition into the equation to help simplify our response.
If you’re feeling frozen in a decision-making scenario, you can actually rely on trusting your gut to get you over your paralysis. Our intuition is a deep-seated knowledge that will often tell us what choice we should make (or which one we want to make) if we simply listen to our feelings about a particular situation.
To find out more about listening to your intuition and trusting your gut, check out the Brightspot app! Join the waitlist to be one of the first to know when we launch and get access to plans that'll help you supercharge your personal growth.
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Have you ever had a decision to make and found yourself trapped in an endless loop of “what if this, what if that” scenarios? It’s an uncomfortable feeling to encounter, especially when your decision is an important one.
You might spend so much time thinking about all the choices you could make and their associated outcomes that you never actually end up landing on one. That’s analysis paralysis; the feeling of being so overwhelmed by the decision making process that you become paralyzed by your options and fail to reach a conclusion.
Now while analysis paralysis sounds like an almost deadly diagnosis, it’s not always weighty decisions that actually bring about this phenomenon. In fact, perhaps the most famous example of analysis paralysis in action comes from a report which studied consumers purchasing jam. (Yes, like jam on toast.)
In the Jam Study, market researchers stocked grocery store shelves with 24 varieties of jam and then invited shoppers to sample the jams and select one to buy.
A day later, only six varieties were stocked and offered. The study found that consumers were 10 times more likely to purchase jam if they were presented with only six choices instead of 24.
Psychologists say that analysis paralysis stems from anxiety; or more specifically, a fear of making the wrong decision. When we’re presented with too many options, we weigh up an endless number of variables whilst imagining potential downsides to all of them. In the end, it becomes impossible to identify the best option from the rest. So instead, we avoid choosing one at all.
Back in 2008 Dr. Barry Schwartz coined the term “Paradox of Choice” to describe the phenomenon that causes humans to be so indecisive. Essentially, he found that while increased choice allows us to achieve objectively better results, it also leads to greater anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Sometimes we may not even be aware of our internal anxiety, but an over-abundance of choice simply makes us apathetic and unwilling to commit. Part of counteracting analysis paralysis is recognizing this phenomenon in ourselves and trying to inject our intuition into the equation to help simplify our response.
If you’re feeling frozen in a decision-making scenario, you can actually rely on trusting your gut to get you over your paralysis. Our intuition is a deep-seated knowledge that will often tell us what choice we should make (or which one we want to make) if we simply listen to our feelings about a particular situation.
To find out more about listening to your intuition and trusting your gut, check out the Brightspot app! Join the waitlist to be one of the first to know when we launch and get access to plans that'll help you supercharge your personal growth.
