A prolonged period of indecision can have a terribly draining effect on us. We’re sure you’ve experienced being on the fence about something and feeling a great relief when you finally make your decision. It is frequent to even hear people say, "I’m just so happy to have finally decided!" The emphasis is on being out of the indecision, NOT what was decided! Don’t you find that curious?
Have you ever wondered why it is so depleting to be on the fence? To be neither here nor there? Well, one reason is that it prevents us from bringing our whole self to our endeavor. We put ourselves in a holding pattern, essentially living out in our minds the pros and cons of both options. Let’s say you are undecided about moving. In this case you are neither packing nor improving your current home. When you don’t know which choice is "best," you are rightly hesitant to invest yourself into it. And here lies the problem.
Contrary to what seems logical, what exhausts us the most is when we are holding back. Think of the last time you were fully "in" on a project or endeavor. Do you remember being surprised by your increased energy level? When we are sure of our direction and give ourselves fully to that direction, we can go further than we imagined possible.
Although indecision is a dangerous place for us to live long-term, there are situations in life that require deliberation. One thing that can be helpful when you are in a period of indecision about your next step is to make many decisions inside the larger decision. For example, decide to "not decide" for the next 2 hours. Or, decide that you need to speak with a particular person before committing. There are thousands of these "little" decisions that can be helpful in protecting your energy whilst you are undecided about the larger issue. If we only focus on the big decision "do it" or "don't do it," that is when we really start to feel drained.
To the power of being fully invested!
