You have Too Many Dreams!

Isn’t that crazy!?!?! Well maybe not too many dreams but have you thought about why you come up with alternatives on top of alternatives for what you are going to do next? I’m reading this awesome book called Successful Women Think Differently¹ and this book caught me off guard by the following statement:

“Now, before I pat us all on the back for getting to a place in life where we have so many choices that we just don’t know what to do, I want to point out that this predicament is often a fear-based, self-inflicted problem…there have likely been many times when the choice was obvious, but you introduced new choices out of fear”¹

What!?!?!? I know I know! #mindblown

But think about it. Have you ever talked yourself out of a good idea? Maybe you didn’t have the resources? Or it wasn’t the right timing? Or maybe you thought you should go this other route instead when the obvious answer was right in front of you. We often do this because we just can’t see how that one thing is even possible.  We let fear stop us from pursuing the one thing God laid on our heart to do.

Or you suffer from that disease “analysis paralysis.” Have you ever heard of it? I was diagnosed with it years ago and still suffer bouts of this paralysis whenever there is a big decision to be made.  I analyze every aspect of the decision until I’m totally stuck and am too afraid to make a decision.  This “disease” is actually what took me so long to get the certification I wanted! I came up with so many excuses for why it would never work and how maybe this wasn’t meant to be. I finally came to my senses and realized I was cowtailing to fear. Where was this book two years ago!?!?

The great thing is, there is hope for us!!!

Here are 3 steps to help with our “ too many choices syndrome” or our “analysis paralysis disease”:

1. Trust that God is big enough and strong enough to stop you from going down the wrong path.  You may have planned steps but God will establish the path.  God is bent on seeing you victorious so go into that “thing” knowing that victory is yours and God will move you in the right direction.  Refuse to allow yourself to get stuck. “He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap (Ecclesiastes 11:4)” Everything can’t be perfect.  Just go for it!
2. Stop comparing your decision to others!¹  When we compare we open the door to doubt and regret.  This stops us from fully pursuing that big idea you had! Besides the Bible calls comparers (is that a word? lol) ignorant and we don’t want to be ignorant right? 2 Corinthians 10:12 “…But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement.  How ignorant!”
3. “Rein in perfectionism”¹ (I’m still learning this one)! Valorie gives some good tips when it comes to stopping the perfectionism problem:
   • “Focus on your progress, not on perfection.”¹  Take a good long look at what you’ve done and celebrate that.  Get a clear sense of purpose and then it will be real easy to decide what needs more time and what needs less.
   • “Set your minimum standard and stop when you meet it.”¹  Now this isn’t about having low standards but having a standard to meet and working on meeting that standard and nothing else.  Don’t spend sideways energy on things that don’t matter.  When you make those standards it makes life much easier!
   • “If you must perfect something, perfect your top priority.”¹ Make priorities and then make sure that you perfect your priority and not every single little detail.  Stop yourself from eternally tweaking things and focus on that top priority.

These are just a few things I’m learning and reflecting on through this book “Successful Women Think Differently.” It is totally transforming my mind!!

Engage: So what’s your disease? Analysis paralysis or too many choices syndrome?

1. Burton, Valorie. Successful Women Think Differently”. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2012. Print.