3 Key Strategies to get out of Analysis Paralysis

There is one thing that we all go through when planning a new digital system. It’s something that stumps some people, and others while they experience it they figure out a way through it. This is analysis paralysis. For those of you who don’t know what I mean, when you find yourself over-analyzing every aspect of your plan which has not happened yet to the point that you are unable to complete your work is when analysis paralysis kicks in. I have experienced this a few times in my life.

 

For me, each and every time I over plan things and that leads to planning what time I would do each of my tasks…and I mean down to the hour and minute. This is a fantastic way to set yourself up for total failure. I have found that life will always get in the way when you make plans, so making overly specific plans makes it incredibly easy to fail, and I do not fail well. Typically when I fail it sends me into a tailspin of everything in my life that’s wrong….never a good thing.

 

Luckily there is a way out of this. I typically use three different methods to get out of Analysis Paralysis;

 

 

1) Talk it through with someone – Nine times out of ten when you experience Analysis Paralysis it’s because you’re talking with yourself about your plans, and no one else. This is a mistake that I have made many times. I have been in stressful situations and have overanalyzed every possible outcome. Every time I think of what could possibly be, my productivity went down, my confidence in myself decreased and I would inevitably give up on the project. Some of my greatest successes have come from projects where, instead of talking myself into circles, I have talked it over with another person. Through these conversations, I would gain a level of clarity and levelheadedness that would let me finish the project, and finish it well.

 

The person you talk to about your project doesn’t need to be knowledgeable in the subject you’re working on. In fact, I have found that sometimes the people who have no knowledge whatsoever give either the best advice or give you the greatest level of clarity. If you speak to someone who knows your subject you will definitely be able to gain some insight that you may not have considered before. I have found that if you talk to someone who is not familiar with your subject matter, you are forced to explain what it is you’re doing. I have had a number of times where in the middle of my explanation to the people I was talking to I have actually hit on the answer. Forcing yourself to sort your thoughts out so that someone who doesn’t know can understand is a great way to get rid of your over-analyzing problem.

 

2) Walk away from it – No seriously. If you put the task away for a period of time you will stop overanalyzing everything that you have to do. When you’re head is down in the trenches for too long you start to just see the same things over and over again, not noticing the little mistakes that you are making along the way.

 

When you walk away from a project (both physically and mentally) you are bound to have to deal with things that will distract you from your problem. Your relationship with your loved ones, social obligations with friends, or even just a good book are things that you can use to distract yourself from your problems with the project you’re working on. Walking away can clear your head and when you come back to the project, you will find yourself with more energy and vigour for it than you had before.

 

Personally, I have found that some of my best ideas for a project would occur to me when I was doing anything BUT the project. I go walking in the mornings and I have had some very cool ideas while on those walks thinking about nothing at all. When you are in the middle of a project and you’re stuck you need to be able to put it down and do something else, otherwise, you will fall into analysis paralysis.

 

3) Go back to it – When you leave a project there is a chance that you won’t return to it, but going back to it is the most crucial step to getting rid of analysis paralysis. There are a couple of different reasons for this. Firstly, not unlike working out a muscle, if you Don’t go back to this particular project after experiencing AP, then your ability to go back to anything after AP will be diminished. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, if you experience this on a work project, and don’t go back to it your superiors might take issue with that.

 

I find that going back to a project with a fresh set of eyes and a clear head is one the best ways to get it completed. It’s a great mental trick, not unlike when you’re having trouble finding your car keys the best way to find them is to stop looking for them. The same is true of analysis paralysis. Walking away from a project means that you will be able to get a fresh perspective, but more importantly, applying that perspective to finish the work is just as important.

 

Analysis Paralysis is something that everyone deals with, but luckily it can be dealt with. I have found that following the three easy steps that I have laid out It is something that can be overcome. I must confess I experienced a bit of Analysis Paralysis recently, which is what caused this post to be, but I was able to overcome it and I am happy to report I am well into my project now and fully expect to have a great outcome from it.

 

 

How do you get out of Analysis Paralysis?