Analysis Paralysis

We tend to invest so much time into decision-making that we either miss our best opportunity to act, or fail to take action at all.

Analysis paralysis can cause problems for analytically minded grapplers like us. If you haven't heard the term before, analysis paralysis refers to:

The natural human tendency to invest so much time into decision-making that we either miss our best opportunity to act, or fail to take action at all.

If you've ever felt so overwhelmed by Jiu-Jitsu instructional content that you spent more time deciding what to study than actually studying, you've experienced analysis paralysis. Welcome to the club. 🤣

I've spent over 20 years helping teams overcome analysis paralysis in corporate environments, and from my experience, the same tricks work in Jiu-Jitsu. Here are my 3 main tips for overcoming analysis paralysis both on and off the mats:

#1: Reduce the number of options available.
The more options you're considering, the more likely you'll suffer from analysis paralysis. Product designers use a concept called Hick's law, which states that we take longer to make decisions when there are more options available. To combat this, only invest your time in a direction that brings you a “hell yes” level of excitement.

#2: Time-box the decision-making process.
We tend to pad our projects by taking as much time as is available (a concept called Parkinson's Law). As a result, there are usually diminishing returns to the amount of time spent on decision-making. Don't wait until you have “all the data,” because that might be too late for the decision to matter. Commit to a fixed amount of time for decision-making, and once that time is up, make a decision and move on with what you've got.

#3: Commit to a plan in advance.
If we commit to a decision in advance, we can reduce hesitation and take action faster. To do this, make a precommitment, or agreement with yourself, and decide in advance what you'll do if you encounter a particular situation. It's like making an automation for your brain: “If this happens, then I will automatically do that.”

On the podcast:

• Ep. 316: Content Overload, feat. Jake Luigi

Further study:

• Hick's Law
• Parkinson's Law
• Precommitments