Poll How Do You Make Decisions?

[Hope4Now]

I'm thinking a lot about choice these days and wondering how you make choices in your daily lives and how that works out for you.

 

[garden]

I find it most difficult to make choices when I'm out in public, I don't know why, but I feel stressed out by decision making when I'm out and about. I tend to feel better if I plan things, or anticipate having to make decisions and then make them tentatively, but on the go decisions tend to give me a knee jerk bit of alarm. I have no idea why this is. Decision making in general will get a stress response automatically... I just accept the worry, uneasiness, fear... and make decisions anyways...

 

[GWhizz]

I'm really indecisive. It's not helpful as I'm never happy either way and it takes too long to decide so I usually go with what I think is best at the time but later realise it doesn't work long-term!

 

[ihateusernames]

I over-analyze everything. It takes forever to decide the most basic thing. I hate it. Say, I go shopping. I already know what kind of ketchup to buy, but that doesn't really save me any of the hassle because I will stand there pondering what size to get for 5 minutes. I can tell which is the best deal and which is cheapest immediately, but then I start throwing in container size factors and where I currently have room in my refrigerator and how many times I think we'll use ketchup over the next few weeks and what the sale cycles have been like and whether it's likely to be half price next week and blah blah blah. It never ends. I don't know how I ever accomplish anything.

 

[garden]

@ihateusernames lol, I like to figure out which ketchup is a better buy so I'm camped out in that aisle doing math...but then I might get overwhelmed and not buy ketchup at all... It's kind of funny now that I think about it.

 

[GWhizz]

My partner wants me to be more assertive when it comes to choosing how to spend time off together. This usually amounts to me refusing to go out at all as I don't wanna be the one to make the wrong choice. I think a lot of it is down to fear of blame for me. Without the responsibility, I won't have to be accountable. This is why I'm finding parenting so difficult - I have to make the decisions.

 

[garden]

This is why I'm finding parenting so difficult - I have to make the decisions.

This is hard for me too. I wish decision making when it comes to parenting wasn't so stressful. I do my best not to show it, but inside I'm always worried.

 

[ihateusernames]

Yes, @Lewa! Sometimes I get too overwhelmed and say forget it, too. Fortunately I don't have to involve much math. The grocery stores around here list price per ounce on the shelf. Phew. Good thing they think we're idiots or I'd never be able to buy anything!

 

[ihateusernames]

This is why I'm finding parenting so difficult - I have to make the decisions.

I've gotten a little better with it, but wow, me too. Everybody kept telling me that parenting isn't that hard and that people far dumber than me have been managing it since the beginning of people and etc. But I don't think most of those people are paralyzed with indecision, or worse, doubt over every decision they finally make. I feel like my every little move has the potential to be detrimental to my son.

 

[illusionist]

I follow a pretty strict routine otherwise, if I give myself time to think, I'd flood my brain with options which includes opt out options which I know are bad for me.....then I've made a future stress for myself.

One silly one that really does crop up a lot is when my partner asks if I want a cuppa....I instinctively say no thanks, then pause..wheels turn...yes I'd like one...a small cup or a mug??? 0ne or two sugars???. He does laugh and asks " why do you always change your mind?"......and I always answer the same...."because I now have choices"

 

[The Albatross]

Hmmm. None of the above so I guess that makes me an "other".

 

[shimmerz]

but then I might get overwhelmed and not buy ketchup at all

because I will stand there pondering

If I went to a grocery store I would start wandering because I was overwhelmed. If the person I was with felt like they couldn't watch me they would send me to get something. lol. Guaranteed they would find me standing in front of it 15 or 20 minutes later - trying to figure out what brand to get. Frozen. Completely frozen. :bag::banghead::sorry:

My partner wants me to be more assertive when it comes to choosing how to spend time off together

Yes *heavy sigh*. My partner did this once. He called me up on the phone and said, 'Okay, I decide all the time - now YOU decide!' I froze, mid aisle, shopping cart holding me up. When it was obvious that I had gone mute, he said into the phone, 'how about the tea house at XXX?' lol. No idea how people stand to be around me. Masochists, they must all be masochists. :wideeyed: