Being indecisive keeps you stuck and overwhelmed

Read time: 5 minutes

I recently had a short interaction with a member of Clarity Lab who created a post sharing her struggles with overwhelm and indecision—I’ll call her Kelly.

One of Kelly’s core values is simplicity, but she feels something is preventing her from fully embracing it. She also expressed her frustration with how hard it is to make quick decisions about the “easier” things cluttering her life.

As I dug into Kelly’s situation, I realized that she was facing something very familiar to many of us on this clarity journey: She was paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong move. She wants to make progress, but every decision feels like a mountain to climb, and every indecision keeps her stuck and overwhelmed.

Now the advice I gave Kelly was specific to her situation. But the truth is, many people struggle with indecision and overwhelm, even when it’s not related to clutter.

Maybe you’re avoiding decisions in your career, feeling unsure whether to take on new opportunities or switch industries. If you’re a creator, indecision may be holding you back from choosing which projects or content to pursue next. As a student, you might be avoiding decisions about your future or even day-to-day decisions such as time management. And for entrepreneurs, the constant avalanche of decisions and the fear of making the wrong one can be paralyzing.

No matter who you are, the emotional weight of overwhelm can feel crushing. But here’s the truth: avoiding decisions makes everything harder.

So today, I’m going to help you break free from that cycle. But I’m not going to dive into any complicated strategies or systems that could overwhelm you further. Instead, I simply want to walk you through why indecision holds you back, and more importantly, how you can start making decisions with confidence.

By the end of this, you’ll have a clearer path forward and know exactly how to handle the tough choices that are keeping you stuck.

The Cost of Avoiding Decisions

Indecision isn’t a harmless habit—it comes with real consequences. Every time you avoid a decision, you’re not just leaving things unresolved—you’re paying a price in terms of your time, energy, and emotional well-being.

Here’s the typical advice we see regurgitated across the internet:

If you’re feeling stressed, worried, or overwhelmed about a decision, choose a time and date in the future to worry and just tell yourself I’ll worry about it then.

We naturally like this kind of advice because it feels friendly and encouraging. It makes you feel better in the moment. But in practice, it’s not very helpful, and it doesn’t produce the results you need and want.

This kind of advice only keeps us stuck in a cycle of stress and inaction.

Think about it. How many times have you put off a decision, hoping it would get easier with time, only to find that the problem only gets bigger?

Whether it’s changing your career path, confronting an uncomfortable situation, chipping away at your clutter, or tackling a creative project—the longer you avoid a decision, the more overwhelmed you feel.

You might even find yourself stuck and unfulfilled, unsure of how to move forward, and paralyzed by the idea of making the wrong choice. Which means missing an opportunity for growth.

That’s the cost of avoiding decisions. It won’t necessarily be easier later. It doesn’t protect you from making mistakes. It just keeps you stuck right where you are.

The Power of Decisiveness

When I left my corporate job at the end of 2023, I started overthinking everything in my business. From the content I would create, to the products and services I would offer. I even delayed the decision to build my membership community for nearly a year.

As a newly full-time solopreneur, the fear of making the wrong move got the best of me at every turn.

Looking back, I can clearly see the impact this had.

• Declining confidence
• Paralyzing overwhelm
• Stagnant business
• Continued indecisiveness

Over time, I found my footing and started making progress by finally doing the one thing I had been avoiding: making decisions.

Here’s what I learned after the first 12 months of being timid in my business: Every time you make a decision, you free up mental space. You move from overthinking to action, and that shift from indecision to decisiveness can be the key to unlocking more energy, more creativity, and more clarity.

But here’s the missing piece I wish I knew on day one.

You don’t need to have every single answer right away—what matters is that you’re moving forward. Small decisions build momentum, and that momentum leads to bigger decisions.

That’s the power of decisiveness. It’s not about making perfect choices or having everything figured out. It’s about pushing through the discomfort. The act of deciding is what gives you confidence.

And the more decisions you make, the easier it gets to make the next one—and the cycle of indecision and overwhelm begins to fade.

Two Questions That Change Everything

Want to break the indecision cycle and start making decisions with confidence? It starts with asking the right questions. Here are two simple but powerful questions to ask yourself before you make a decision:

1. Do I have enough information to make a sound and informed decision?

   This question helps you evaluate whether you’re getting stuck in analysis paralysis. Are you waiting for more data that may never come, or do you already have enough to take action?

2. Am I emotionally at peace with this decision?

   This question checks in with your intuition. If you’re feeling uneasy or conflicted, it’s important to pause and ask yourself why. Is it fear, uncertainty, or doubt? Or are you truly unsure of the decision itself?

Still feeling hesitant or uneasy about your decision? Here are a few more questions to consider to help you gain clarity:

• What is the worst-case scenario if I make this decision?
• What will I gain by making this decision?
• If I make a mistake, what steps can I take to fix it or learn from it?

These questions are designed to move you from indecision to action, whether it’s a small decision or a big one. And the more you practice this, the easier it gets to trust yourself and make decisions confidently.

The Bottom Line

Being indecisive keeps you stuck and overwhelmed. So, the next time you’re stuck in that cycle of overthinking, take a moment to ask yourself those two core questions: “Do I have enough information to make a sound decision?” and “Am I emotionally at peace with this decision?”

Use those questions to guide you, and watch how making decisions becomes easier over time.

And remember, each decision you make is a step forward, closer to where you want to be—not a final destination.

I hope today’s issue helps you make a decision that will move you forward, produce results, and build your confidence.

That’s all for today.

See you next Sunday.