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When information overload occurs to a person, he becomes “paralysed” in a sense, thus the term “paralysis by analysis” or “analysis paralysis” was formed.

Some people are blessed to not ever have to deal with such a situation but there are some people that are so bound by such a condition that they’re not able to get any work done for a certain period of time – don’t be surprised to hear of stories or come across people who have not been able to get any work done for months, maybe a year or two, because of analysis paralysis!

Having experienced and gone through such a crippling condition, here are some tips on how to overcome and deal with the problem of paralysis by analysis. Let’s dive right in!

1. Download The Information

When there’s too much information in the head or too many good ideas (which I call “inspiration overload”), it helps a ton by having all that information go out of the head. Write that information down, speak it into a recorder, shoot a video, tell it to someone, etc. Depending on your preference, choose a favorite method and “download” your information overload info onto that medium.

This allows you to remove the feeling that you need to remember the idea - because you feel it’s going to help you achieve a certain goal or dream faster – and you’re afraid that you might forget the idea. Having it placed down on, say, a piece of paper. You will be able to think about whether this idea is feasible in the short or long term.

2. The Nike Slogan

… is to “Just Do It”. This probably requires the most effort for people who have been bound by the condition of analysis paralysis because it probably requires a certain forceful effort on their part to actually get some work done. Whilst this may not be able to be accomplished by many, but when done successfully, it will unleash a lot of power and get work done.

Think of this as an example, your ideas are all in your head like a dam. They’re all swimming and flowing in your head with nowhere to go. You then break the walls of the dam in your mind and all that water, all that information, will be released and unleashed with full fury.

3. Overload The Information Overload

This is a little similar to the previous example of breaking the walls of the dam example. This time though, instead of forcefully doing something, you intentionally add more information. This example is like the bursting of a beaver dam.

Your mind won’t be able to absorb any more information when you attempt to add to it and then, like the breaking of a dam, there will be a breaking of the wall that blocks the information flow.

4. Get Away From It All

The only reason why getting away from all that information works is due to the nature of our subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind works to solve the problems and issues that our active conscious mind is bogged down with. When you decide to get up and take a break. You relegate all the problem solving to your subconscious mind.

You’re still thinking about it but you’re not conscientiously thinking about it - you’ve placed it “at the back of your mind”. When you take that much needed break, the subconscious mind goes to work to try to solve the problem. In fact, many people have already applied this method to great results.

For example, a story I heard about this architect who was tasked with designing a new building and he had a very near deadline. He worked on it day and night but nothing worked nor was satisfactory in his designs. At the final night, whilst working, he said to himself “I’ve had enough! I can’t take this anymore, I’m going for a walk”. And so he did. He got out of his home office, walked around the neighborhood for a while and took a stroll in the park whilst enjoying the scenery, the cool breeze. And then, all of a sudden, he had a design concept and idea come to his head. He rushed back to his home office, drafted out his design and had that design submitted. It was one of his best design pieces ever.

Whilst taking that walk, his subconscious mind or his mind “back office” was working on it the whole time. And when they got the solution, they delivered it quietly to his conscious mind. That’s the “Eureeka!” moment.

The Conclusion Is In The Beginning

There’s still a plethora of ways to deal with information overload and a lot of prescriptions for the analysis paralysis condition. The best method that I know to overcome paralysis by analysis is to clearly define the goals that have been set. As long as you remember and have set your goals in place, when you do all you can to reach those goals, you will be able to define which are the issues you have to deal with, which are the solutions which will help or harm you and what it is that you need to do at the end of the day.

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Filed under: Self Help

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