Don’t give it a second thought. Seriously. Don’t.

Ever work with someone who won’t — who can’t — make a decision? Or maybe you’ve been there yourself, staring down lists of details til your eyes blur over, recalculating your options, hoping — no, praying — that the right answer simply presents itself?

When it happens to you, it’s headache-inducing. When it happens to others, we give it a name: Analysis Paralysis.

I once worked with a man who had perfected this art. So afraid was he to make a decision — any decision — that he would punt every one. He would demand that we rerun the numbers, double-check the tea leaves, ask the good Lord for a second opinion, anything, really, that would give him a reasonable, rational excuse to simply not decide.

Of course, his example is extreme. But Analysis Paralysis is a real thing, afflicting all of us far more often than any of us would care to admit.

(I was about to add “if you think about it,” but the implied irony is just a bit much.)

Personally, I blame Google.

Think about it. (OK, yes, I went there.) With an entire world of information literally at our fingertips — from the most obscure factoid to how-tos for everything from changing your car’s spark plugs to using Excel to predict the weather — we can replay, rehash and recast every set of options we will ever encounter.

Psychologists call it the Paradox of Choice — more options can help us achieve better results, but also lead to greater anxiety, indecision, and yes, paralysis.

Psychologists also warn that Analysis Paralysis is bad for us. Overthinking on the job is a productivity killer and a creativity squasher. Overthinking one decision makes it harder to make ANY decision.

It literally siphons brain power.

Fortunately, there is a solution, and one that does NOT need to be over-analyzed. Becky Kane, writing for the Doist blog, offers several great tips for overcoming Analysis Paralysis.

1. Don’t make big decisions in the afternoon. Take on the most important issues first thing in the morning, when you’re at your cognitive best.

2. Limit the amount of information you consume. When researching for a project, set a limit on how many sources you’ll check — and stick to it.

3. Set a deadline, and stick to it. Giving yourself a set amount of time to reach a decision will actually help you make a better decision.

4. Talk it out. Feeling stumped? Before you get too deep in the paralysis, talk to a coworker, a friend, even a complete stranger at the diner. Bouncing your thoughts off someone else, and listening to their feedback, has a way of producing clarity.

5. Start before you feel ready. It’s easy to fool ourselves into believing that gathering and analyzing more and more information is making progress. Just remember — it’s action, not analysis, that matters.

6. Make your decision the right decision. Confidence and commitment to the decision MAKES it the right decision — oftentimes confidence and commitment, not the decision itself — are ultimate drivers of success. 

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Don't let Jeffrey M. Peyton's accolades, business accomplishments or cool demeanor fool you. The Sun's newest marketing team member has wing-walked on an airplane at 700 feet, co-piloted the Goodyear Blimp, swam with sharks, and managed to obtain paperwork officially declaring him “legally sane.”