===========================================================Are You Stuck?
(c) Copyright 2003 by Murdo Macleod
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You know
feeling.
There's something you want to do. You've thought about it, you've made your decision, and now it's time to act.
Except... you don't.
You want to take next step, but "something" stops you. Do you know what that "something" is?
It's all down to our ancient ancestors...
Backtrack 100,000 years ago when we all lived in caves and ferocious animals lurked nearby.
Decision making in those days was literally a matter of life and death. If you took a wrong turn, or made yourself too visible, you would attract predators who would eat you for dinner. You and entire group.
Whatever action you took, you had to be 100% certain before taking it. One mistake meant death.
Fast forward to today.
100,000 years on, and human brain has evolved into a marvel of sophisticated intelligence. Unfortunately, it still contains primitive thinking layer used by our ancestors.
And there lies problem.
Because even today, we still have this overriding need for elusive quality that enabled our primitive forebears to survive:
Certainty.
And so although decisions we face nowadays are seldom a matter of life and death, they can often feel that way thanks to our genetic inheritance.
That's why first step is always hardest to take.
Anytime you decide to do something new, you are stepping outside "the cave of familiar" into unknown territory where you are likely to experience some form of fear.
And this sense of discomfort is so strong, you'll do anything to avoid it.
Typical tricks include avoidance, delay, or "over- thinking"...
"Over-thinking" is when you continue to think about making a decision, long after you've actually decided! What you're really doing is creating a safe mental environment for yourself. By constantly thinking about something, it becomes familiar, and so you start to feel comfortable around it.
The problem with "over-thinking" is that it doesn't move you forward one tiny bit, and only results in wasted time and lost opportunities.
