However, with patience and effort, you can work on improving your ability to make bigger and smaller choices in life.
If you can’t stop asking yourself “Why am I so indecisive?” then you need to read this article to better understand the underlying causes of your indecisiveness and how to make decision-making less torturous for you.
What Causes Indecisiveness?
Indecisiveness can negatively affect your life, whether that involves a big decision like picking a future spouse or a small decision like what to have for lunch.
Moreover, being indecisive can be a sign of mental health issues like ADHD, anxiety, and PTSD.
Know that you are not by yourself struggling as there are many people out there dealing with their indecision and who find making choices stressful and anxiety-inducing.
There are numerous situations that can lead to indecision. Below are some examples.
Fear Of Failing
Several people are more reluctant compared to others when it is time to make decisions. Indecision is unquestionably a learned trait.
For example, those brought up in settings where the decision-making process was considered a chance to grow and learn are often more confident in taking decisions.
On the contrary, people who grew up feeling like decisions can turn into mistakes or be “bad” are frequently the most indecisive ones as they fear their choices might be wrong.
Say that your mother has been criticizing you when you were young for making bad decisions.
If the result of that would be you becoming an indecisive person out of fear of being labeled as “wrong” or “bad,” well, let’s just say that it’s not your fault.
These doubts can result in long-term indecisiveness, leading to the use of indecision as an instinctual survival tactic.
Parental Involvement
Your indecisiveness could be traced back to your parent’s involvement in your decisions.
If every single decision you had to make was influenced or taken by your parents, then it is a consequent outcome that you are not able to make a decision easily now that you are a grownup.
Regardless of whether they were strict, overprotective, or pushy, your parents might have had a negative impact on your confidence in taking decisions.
As a result, when presented with the option of choosing something all by yourself, you might be looking for other people to choose for you.
You’re A Stickler For Detail
Perfectionism can cause a variety of health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and often exhaustion.
Whenever somebody repeatedly perceives their alternative choices as either ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’ they may become paralyzed by the fear of making the ‘wrong’ judgment.
This results in lots of back-and-forths in an attempt to figure out which option is best.
You Always Want To Please Others
Do you obsess over what other people think of you?
When you are always making decisions based on what other people would want or in order to make yourself more likable to them, then you are probably getting yourself into an internal battle between what you want and what others prefer.
That, of course, will serve you no good and you will always focus on pleasing others instead of what really matters to you.
You’ve Lost Sense Of What’s Important
Again, we’re talking about choosing what’s important. Many of us can be overloaded with lots of information and forget our main reason for doing something.
We all have a goal we want to achieve, but when we forget what that is we end up losing our way, and that’s when frustration and indecisiveness overtake us.
You Are Not Confident
Confidence is an important factor in decision-making.
Even when you know how to go around achieving your objectives, if you do not believe in yourself, you could make the best decision but find it difficult to hold to it.
You Don’t Have Proper Understanding Of The Topic
This is a result of circumstances rather than internal factors. You could be confident and skilled enough to make sound choices quickly.
However, if you are still indecisive, it could be that you simply don’t have all the information you should have on the subject on which you need to make a decision.
You Are Aboulomanic
This is a psychological illness that can be diagnosed.
Aboulomania is characterized by pathological indecisiveness. Even though most people face indecision at certain stages of their lives, people with aboulomania are obsessively indecisive, which seriously affects their daily lives.
A Sign Of Other Mental Health Issues
Indecisiveness could be a sign of a mental health problem, even a common sign of severe depression.
People with ADHD have trouble making choices because of things like attention deficit, cognitive issues, and difficulty concentrating.
Indecisiveness can also be a sign of mental health disorders like anxiety, dependent personality disorder, stress, childhood trauma, and Alzheimer’s.
3 Techniques For Becoming More Decisive
Decide On Your Own
Asking 15 people over one subject matter will only add to your confusion. Finally, if you believe in your instincts, you will recognize what is best for you.
Be More Confident
When making decisions, rely on your instincts that this is the wisest move for you.
Try not to second-guess your choices and stick to them. That way, it will be way easier for you to trust in yourself.
Accept That You Are Not Perfect
The anxiety that comes from being afraid that you will make a bad decision can be crippling.
Try not to be concerned about bad decisions; they are an inevitable part of our lives. Decision-making will become much less intimidating the moment you acknowledge that you cannot be right all the time.
The Bottom Line
If you feel bad about being indecisive, don’t. You are not alone, and your indecisiveness might be the result of other underlying causes that you need to solve first.
So, the best thing you can do is figure out why decision-making is so difficult for you and then become better at it!
Hi, we are Ben Easter and Paige Stephens-Easter, and we have been married for 10 years. Together, we have immersed ourselves in the world of personal development, with our full-time business - Lucid Shift Coaching.
We believe that mental health and mindfulness are the most important things in a relationship, and we need to cherish these things in order to be the best versions of ourselves.
Our core values include Play, Growth, Connection, Collaboration, and Authenticity. These apply to our work, relationship, and all areas of our lives where we want to see improvement.
Please enjoy our website and learn more about personal development through mindfulness, nurturing your mental health, and more.
