Free yourself from the need for certainty
Stop overthinking it! Aim for THIS decision making benchmark to take faster action.
Analysis paralysis.
Procrastination.
Have to figure it all out first.
Considering all the possibilities… and worst case scenarios, too.
Hours, days, months wasted because of indecision.
Scared to choose.
What if… (the horror)… I get it wrong?!
I’ve had plenty of those moments waiting for the “right” time, spending time “figuring things out,” and researching and trying to learn as much as I can from others first.
I wanted certainty. I NEEDED it before I could decide.
But that need for absolute certainty in what I was doing was actually holding me back.
As an entrepreneur, you have to make decisions, whether or not you have enough time or info.
You’ll never know as much as your future self
It’s not in the overthinking that you’ll find the right answers.
It’s in the action where the “right” solution comes to you!
You’ll discover this over and over again: Something in the future will eventually toss out or throw a wrench in whatever you’ve meticulously planned in the past.
The more adaptable and flexible you are in your thinking, the better you’ll be able to navigate any situation.
Get comfortable with making mistakes
Oh, yes. Get ready to make plenty of them!
We were taught that mistakes were bad, and you had to do what you could to avoid them by making the “right” choices. You assumed certainty meant that you’d make fewer (or no) mistakes or stop wasting your time on the “wrong” things.
But failure is a part of the process. That’s where you learn.
Adopt the belief that failure is just feedback.
This one belief will relieve you of unnecessary stress, overthinking, and indecisiveness.
Because feedback is what will help you find the right answers for you.
Do your due diligence… but don’t overanalyze
Amongst all the different options and possibilities out there, it can feel overwhelming trying to “figure out” which one is the “right” one for you.
You can continuously seek more and better info or options to make sure you are fully informed.
But here’s the downside: there are always more out there.
Eventually, you’ll hit this tipping point where the more you gather, the more you’ll feel lost or uncertain. All because you’re overwhelmed with too many possibilities.
So it’s not about gathering more info. It’s about quickly eliminating what doesn’t work for you, so you can make a decision NOW.
Certainty is the wrong goal
You’re constantly navigating shifting factors. There will always be things out of your control. Circumstances are never unchanging. Other people’s thoughts, beliefs, and actions are also involved, so situations are never insular.
Instead of seeking certainty before taking action or making that commitment…
Instead of worrying about what ifs…
Instead of letting the fear, doubt, and uncertainty hold you back from what you truly want…
It’s about finding trust in yourself.
Trust that you will be able to handle whatever comes your way.
Trust that you are more than capable.
Trust that you will figure it out, no matter what.
Trust that you will be ok.
Surrendering to the uncertain can feel like the hardest or scariest thing in the world. But it’s in facing the situation and in the doing that’ll help you figure out whether it was truly “right” or not.
And with trust as your foundation…
THIS is the actual feeling you’re seeking
What if selecting an option amongst the endless possibilities felt effortless?
What if decision making could come from a state of “of course, this is what I do next” without all that nagging doubt?
It’s as if you chose your favorite option without hesitation.
What you’ve been seeking all along is the sense of “choicelessness”.
When I came across this concept, it felt like the fog lifted around me, and I could finally see what is ahead. This is the word that encapsulates the exact way of being that I’ve been searching for.
I want to show up and take action confidently from a state of “choicelessness”.
Needing certainty felt heavy and burdensome because I had to know for sure before I could take action or fully commit. On the other hand, choicelessness feels lighter, and I can feel the pull of “hell yeah, let’s do this!”
That frees up my mental power and energy to focus on what truly matters, rather than wasting it on maybes, could’ves, and should’ves.
That allows me to take more action powerfully, rather than with hesitation, fear, and doubt. I am committed to my decisions, no longer tiptoeing or one foot out the door.
That supports me in cultivating unstoppable momentum no matter what happens, as I’ll keep making decisions and taking continual actions toward my goals.
I’m no longer searching and delaying because I’m just acting from the state of mind that other options don’t matter.
So how do you develop this state of “choicelessness”?
First, you need to know exactly who you want to be and specifically where you want to go. (Psst, I call this your Work Life Vision.)
Then, act as if you’re already that ideal version of you. Yup, be that person now through your thinking, so that your actions automatically flow from that mental state and you’ll naturally have what you desire.
This is different than blindly fumbling around in all the doing in order to try to have what you want so you could finally be who you want to be. Avoid waiting until that future self shows up. Stop procrastinating with the I-can’t-be-that-until-xyz-scenario.
That version of you already knows what to do.
That version of you can put aside the unknowns because you are so hyper focused on your desires and goals that your fears and doubts are just bystanders. (Yeah, they’ll still be there, and… so what?)
Let your Work Life Vision drive you, pull you forward, and fuel your soul!
That’s where the choicelessness originates from.
That’s how you manifest and turn what you want into your reality.
It’s not just doing this once, twice, or just a few times. Your consistent, purposeful efforts will ripple this effect powerfully.
Choose the energy of choicelessness over the need for certainty, and start noticing how your behavior, confidence, and circumstances start to change. You’ll even witness how differently people respond to you, too.
Enjoy the power of choicelessness.
USEFUL JOURNAL PROMPTS
What’s something you’ve been pondering on for a while now? Imagine stepping into the body of the version of you that already has the answer. How would (s)he act and think about the situation? What choiceless decision would you now make?
P.S. If this helped you rethink your need for certainty and reminded you what’s possible when you trust yourself, tap the 💜 to mark that moment. Share or restack this post to help more people break free from analysis paralysis and take inspired action with more confidence.
Thank you for the wise words, Kat! As someone who has the need for certainty, choicelessness seems more feasible in the moment than certainty. Great article! Have an awesome day!