Identifying the Mindset That is Holding You Back with Analysis Paralysis
It’s frustrating to know you need to make progress, take a few small steps, then get stuck. It’s not that you aren’t executing, you just aren’t executing with full commitment to a course of action.
Some call this analysis paralysis. Others call this keeping your options open while you let the facts play out. Regardless of what you call it, the fact remains that you are either stuck or not making adequate progress.
The likely cause of this is the combination of two contrasting mindsets. The first is your internal locus of control mindset. Locus of control is a term to describe the mindset of how an individual perceives cause and effect.
When you have an internal locus of control you view cause and effect through the lens of effort, strategy, and resilience. To put it differently, you believe your hard work and consistency will pay off. This is what compels you to take action, even if you don’t know exactly what action to take.
The second mindset that then contrast with your internal locus of control is your self-efficacy, or lack thereof. Self-efficacy dictates how you perceive your ability to produce a result you want. Moreover, your perception of your abilities to produce a result is the by-product of the skills you have confidence in replicating without help from others.
So, if you have a internal locus of control in which you believe you are the master of your destiny, but you have low self-efficacy in which you lack confidence in your current skill level, then this is the root cause of your lack of progress and/or analysis paralysis.
As such, the only cure is to build confidence in your skills. Furthermore, the best way to do that is through coaching.