The Trap of Decision Paralysis

The moments when we feel the coldest in the sea are the moments when we hesitate to go in.

Last month we went to Asos. The sea was not just cold in Kadırga Bay, it was very cold. You dip your feet into the sea and wait; those are the moments when you feel the coldest. Once you get in, you quickly get used to the water and that's when the fun begins.

A light bulb went off in my head today:

The moments when we feel the coldest in the sea are the moments when we hesitate to go in.

I'm not talking about product-market fit or the benefits of creating an MVP. If there's something you've wanted to do for a long time but have been putting off, start now. That's how this substack started. I had written it on my to-do list a long time ago, but it never seemed to be the right time. And I published the first content as "coming soon". The rest followed.

I founded Etohum acceleration program and Startup Istanbul events in the same way. I actually jumped into the sea suddenly. The biggest problems occur before starting a job, during moments of indecision. When you have to make a decision, you may struggle to choose between options or hesitate to take the necessary steps to make a decision. This is when you experience "Decision Paralysis". If the decision-making process is overly complex, has too many options, or involves uncertainty, we struggle to make a decision.

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality." -Seneca

We often create more suffering for ourselves by imagining negative outcomes or worrying about future events than we do when we actually experience these events.

The fear of waiting for an event to happen can be more terrifying than facing the event itself. Our minds often amplify fears and anxieties, causing us to suffer more in our thoughts than in our actual experiences. Don't let your fears about what might happen in the future prevent you from taking action or facing challenges.

Don't postpone the beginning, start at once, there's power in taking the first step.