Breaking Out of Indecision

Today's post may seem a bit silly to some of you, but humor me. Is it just me or do any of the rest of you out there ever have trouble making a decision? Some of you are laughing, because you can't imagine not knowing what you want (and going for it). That's great and more power to you, but there are some of us who occasionally "freeze up" when it's time to make even simple choices.

Like many kids, I grew up wanting to do everything right. I reasoned that if I were perfect, everyone would like me and I would be successful. I became an excellent people-pleaser and highly adept at reading other people's reactions to me. I also was a bundle of nerves when it came to making decisions. I so hated the idea of making a wrong decision that I would try to postpone hard decisions until I had polled all my friends and researched the decision ad nauseum. Even then I still hated making decisions.

Eventually I got to the point that I would "freeze" at some simple decisions as well as the major ones. It was especially true when I had serious PMS (more on that subject another day). The "freeze" usually meant one of two things:

1. Two choices were so similar that I couldn't see one as better
2. I was afraid of making the wrong decision

So one day I came up with a simple strategy:

-Label each choice with a title.
-Choose the one that comes first alphabetically
If I am having dinner and the choices are between a hamburger or a chicken sandwich, I will choose the chicken sandwich. It doesn't really matter which choice I make: the point is that the freeze is broken (I do eat a lot of chicken).

-People don't always know what they want, but they know what they don't want. Occasionally, I make the choice based on the alphabet and suddenly discover that I really would rather have the hamburger this time. There's nothing that says I can't do that - as long as I don't keep flip flopping.

-The more practice you have at breaking "freezes", the less they will happen. Eventually they just melt away.

I just wondered whether or not I made the right decision to post this, but I've decided I might as well (not bad for a recovering people pleaser).

Do any of the rest of you have trouble making decisions like this or know someone else who does? Please post a comment so I know you're out there.

Sandy Kay Salsbury