Paralysis By Analysis

I’d say one of my biggest weaknesses is a tendency towards “paralysis by analysis.” writes physiotherapist Lou Savill. Overthinking can get the best of me and completely derail my productivity, even with something as simple as posting on Instagram. Recently, I heard a story about late Apple founder and entrepreneur Steve Jobs that really struck a chord and helped me work through this. Jobs is generally regarded as one of the most innovative people in history. During his memorial, former Apple chief design officer Jony Ives spoke of their regular meetings: “He used to say to me, ‘Hey Jony, here’s a dopey idea.’ And sometimes they were really dopey. Sometimes they were truly dreadful. But sometimes they took the air from the room and left us both completely silent.”While much has been said of Jobs, not all of it positive, I can’t imagine many would perceive him as “dopey.” Yet he was willing to share what he thought were bad ideas with a colleague on a regular basis. Jobs seemed to understand a simple truth- in order to have brilliant ideas, you need to be OK with having AND sharing bad ones. Like all things in life, we get better and adapt with repetition. Whether you’re learning a new skill or producing ideas, you need to get reps in. Work with a coach or colleague, be open to criticism and respond appropriately. You might just be heading towards something truly great.