Not Making a Choice is a Choice
Will you choose to read this story or not?
Most people won’t read this story.
If you made it here, then congratulations. You chose to be here.
Those who chose not to be here decided clicking on this story wasn’t worthwhile.
Did those not reading this story avoid it because they hate the title?
I hope not, and I also do not think so. The choice not to click on this story was the default option — the easy option.
And usually, the default option isn’t the best.
Do you click on most links you see?
Probably not.
To click on a link is to choose your destiny — to do something you want.
Not clicking a link is the default option that we employ most often.
Sometimes, the default isn’t enough and won’t encourage growth.
Making conscious choices is the key to any growth.
My struggles with making a choice
It takes me a very long time to make a choice.
Recently, I decided to create an app. The problem is that I am not a software engineer.
How can I create an app without being able to code?
The answer is that I’ll have to make a lot of choices. Making choices isn’t my forte. I blame it on being a Libra.
How do I want the app to look?
Who can I trust to deliver quality work?
How will I be able to deliver a good quality experience?
And then, there’s the money.
How could I afford to develop something so complex when I’m essentially working to live at this point?
So, for the past two months, I have made zero progress.
Why?
Because I haven’t made any decision.
I chose the default.
And as a result, my app has gone nowhere.
Choosing the default has brought mediocrity.
Why people don’t make choices
There are many reasons why people avoid making a choice.
An article by Entrepreneur.com discussed procrastination and decision-making. According to the article, people procrastinate when making a choice because they:
- Are anxious
- Are avoiding responsibility
- Do not have enough information
I thought of a few more reasons for the avoidance of making a choice.
Perfectionism
Perfect is the enemy of good, especially when it comes to decision-making. There will never be a perfect choice, and since perfectionists have high standards, they are often disappointed by the imperfect nature of reality.
Procrastination
Some people need the rush and extra dopamine that comes with making a decision at the last minute. Don’t ask me how I know.
Procrastination is also easy and contributes to not making a choice.
I’m trying to get to the root of my decision-making woes, but I’m leaning toward perfectionism and a healthy dose of fear as the culprits.
Making choices isn’t easy
Making choices isn’t easy, yet every day, it happens.
And sometimes, when a person chooses not to choose, that person is accepting the default rather than the optimal solution.
Getting to the root cause of your indecision can help you optimize your decision-making and make choosing easier.
With each choice you make, the more confident you become.
Now, let me get back to my app.