Making an Important Decision

I tend to be a "paralysis by analysis" kind of guy. I've always been that way, and it's been a challenge I've actively tried to work on over the years.

One practical tool that's helped me tons is giving myself a set amount of time to process a decision (maybe end of day/week), and then by the end of that time, just pulling the trigger. Usually it doesn't take as long as it feels like it does to fully assess all the facts. There's no reason to overthink it.

After that time, I'm not allowed to let my mind wander to all the "what ifs" and "maybes". I've already made the choice, so now I move forward from there. There's a time and a place for reflection, but it does me no good to dwell on something I can no longer change. I almost never discover any new, revelatory information after that time that would have completely changed my decision, anyway.

There's a good phrase:

"Don't worry about making the wrong choice. Just make a choice, and then make that choice the right one."

This is 100% the mindset to have. Even the best decisions will sometimes turn out horribly, and it does no good to feel guilty on top of it if I truly did my best.

Here's what I always come back to: I'll be less upset with myself for making a poor choice than for being too scared to make a choice at all.