If you are too overwhelmed to decide, it usually is not about how smart you are. Most of the time you do not have a decision problem, you have a perspective problem, and it comes from where your feet are planted. This self-test shows how narrow your view is on one decision and what to do next.
For entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and fast thinkers who have a decision coming and suspect they are making it from a narrow view. Use it before you say yes to something, or when you keep landing on the first option.
Pick one decision you have to make soon. Answer all eight questions about that decision. In this test, being on the floor means most of your attention is going to keeping things from falling apart.
1. Think about the decision you picked. Right now, where is most of your attention going?
2. How many real options can you name for this decision?
3. Look at your calendar for the next three days. How much of it has no meeting, task, or person waiting on you?
4. How does the option you are leaning toward feel?
5. How much of this decision is a reaction to something that just happened, like a message, a comment, or a rough day?
6. Do you have a reset, something that gives the pushing part of your brain a break? Have you used it since this decision landed on you?
7. Who sees this differently than you do, and have you talked to them about it?
8. Have you decided what matters most here, and what would make you say no?
What your result means
Room to choose (0 to 5)
You can see more than one option and you have room to compare them. Your view is wide enough to make this call.
Next action: Choose, then write down the one reason that decided it. Over time those reasons become your own rules for choosing.
View is narrowing (6 to 10)
Part of this decision is being made from a narrow view. You may be leaning toward the first option because it is the one in front of you.
Next action: Do not decide today. Find the answers where you scored a 2 and fix only those. Take your reset, or ask the person who sees it differently one question, then take the test again.
On the floor (11 to 16)
The decision in front of you is probably being made for you, not by you. Your attention is too tied up to compare options, and that is not a failure. The view is just too narrow.
Next action: If you can wait, move the decision back and take your reset now. When you return, write down at least two options before you choose. If it cannot wait, talk to the person who sees it differently before you commit.
FAQ
Why can't I make a decision when I'm overwhelmed?
When you are pushing hard, every bit of your attention goes toward the pushing, so there is no room left for the answer. Your focus narrows to what is right in front of you, which is your brain doing its job. You are not failing, your view is just too narrow to see a better option.
Why does the first option always look like the best one?
When your attention is tied up keeping things from falling apart, the first option tends to look best. The first version of an idea is usually a reaction to an emotion. The second version, after you give it some space and room to breathe, usually holds up a little better.
Can you be doing well and still be too overwhelmed to decide?
Yes. The basics do not have to be literal, like rent and groceries. They can mean keeping every plate spinning for the people you are responsible for, so you can be doing well on paper and still have no room left to choose.
What is discernment in decision making?
Discernment means being able to see the difference between one thing and another, and then making the best decision between those options. It only works if you can see more than one option. If you can only see one thing, there is nothing to filter and you are just saying yes.
Go deeper
The episode, Stuck on the Floor (Why You Can't See the Better Option), adds the Maslow picture behind this test, why your best ideas show up in the shower, in the car, and at 3 a.m., and the two stories Jess uses to show it. The tool shows where your view is narrow. The episode explains why it narrows.
Listen to Ep 35: https://jesswebber.com/bigideasmadesimple/cant-think-clearly-overwhelmed
Related
Big Ideas Made Simple is a decision-making podcast for fast thinkers who are tired of hiding behind hustle and perfection. Hosted by Jess Webber. New episodes weekly at bigideasmadesimple.captivate.fm.
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This self-test checks your view before one decision. Each week I send a new tool like it, plus the idea behind it and the new Big Ideas Made Simple episode.
