Day 146: On Decision Avoidance

I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.

—Sylvia Plath 141

Not making a decision is also a decision, and usually the worst one. While you’re torn between one choice and another, you’re losing time you could have spent taking action — any action — and then figuring out whether it was the right choice or not.

People often decide to not decide, or they put off their decisions because of a fear of missing out. Choosing one thing means not choosing another. However, not choosing either of them means losing both.

It’s also tempting to avoid making a decision because it creates an illusion that you still have the freedom to choose. And while it’s true that you do retain this freedom, there’s more freedom in commitment, as it frees you from inertia and gets you closer to determining where you want to go.

If you’re hesitant about whether you want to pursue a certain goal or not, figure out a low-investment way to get started. You can’t get much additional insight by waiting for an excessive period of time, while you can gain an immense amount of knowledge by going ahead and testing the waters.