Overcoming Analysis Paralysis, or remembering that good can be perfect.

I recently came across the phrase “analysis paralysis,” a term used to describe the process of when we spend so much time thinking and deliberating that we cannot come to a decision. This phrase struck a chord with me. I find I miss out more often than not because of overthinking or outthinking my initial instinctual reaction. It stems from a fear of not having trust in my initial reaction. While it is good to have some measure of caution in life and not respond with one’s first thought, decisions do need to be made or we will never have the chance to experience so much of what life has to offer.

In the same vein, an area that I find myself exploring lately is learning to not allow “the perfect to be the enemy of the good,” the famous quote attributed to Voltaire. (See the previous post Perfection is about process not perfection for another take on this theme.) Each of us can find places in our lives in which we experience this struggle, where we give up on something because it isn’t perfect, even if it is good enough. Of course, there are areas in which anything less than “perfect” is dangerous, but even within those areas, since we know there is always improvement, then perfect is not really perfect after all. When we get caught up in making the perfect, most right decision, we often get caught in the analysis paralysis loop.

When it comes to spirituality and growth, I think the ability to overcome analysis paralysis is the difference between feeling stagnant and true growth. We allow the process to be the guide, steering us towards the goals we wish to attain, even when there are detours along the way.

For more on analysis paralysis and methods for how to break this cycle, see, for example, “Do You Have Analysis Paralysis?: Overthinking everything can make everyday life a challenge.” by Robert Taibbi L.C.S.W. and How to Push Past Your Analysis Paralysis by Scott Young.