Emily Nguyen Week 14 Decision
Emily Nguyen
Week 14
Every decision we've made in our lives has led us up to where we are now. From major life decisions, to something as simple as choosing , every choice we've made has influenced us to some degree. It is estimated that on average, an adult makes about 35,000 conscious decisions in a day. Yet so many of us, including myself, still struggle with indecisiveness.
Indecisiveness is defined as a "dysfunctional personality trait characterized by a generalized difficulty to make decisions." It can be caused by a multitude of factors, such as fear of failure, a lack of confidence, or even simply overthinking. Nevertheless, I've noticed that even the simplest of decisions, such as ordering at a restaurant tend to overwhelm me.
Decision
Every decision we've made in our lives has led us up to where we are now. From major life decisions, to something as simple as choosing , every choice we've made has influenced us to some degree. It is estimated that on average, an adult makes about 35,000 conscious decisions in a day. Yet so many of us, including myself, still struggle with indecisiveness.
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Approaching the time of course registrations this year, I initially made the decision to allow my mother make these decisions for me, as per usual. Choosing my own courses has always been a hassle, and I've always gone with the notion that my mom would know best. From junior high up until now, it was routine for her to fill out the forms for me. To my own surprise, I changed my mind and began filling out the form on my own. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, several instances of second guessing myself, piling of white out, and my math teacher standing at my desk, watching me change my mind for the twentieth time, waiting for me to hand back my paper, I can confidently say that every course written down on my registration form is one that I've chosen for myself. It felt quite liberating too. Could I have made a poor decision in the process of filling out the form? Yes. Do I regret taking initiative and choosing independence? No. Decision making is powerful. We all learn from our own actions.
Unfortunately, I too can relate to the power indecisiveness holds over me. For me, my indecisiveness comes from not really having any opinions. I guess you could say I am open-minded, but to an extent where I feel like when I make decisions it is a waste because other people have better and stronger opinions than me and so they should be the ones to make the decisions. As I get older, I hope you and I both can become more decisive beings and gain greater confidence in our own decisions.
ReplyDeleteHey Emily, it's amazing how much power indecisiveness holds over us when we make decisions so often every single day. One would think that we would have gotten used to decision making or at least realized that it's impossible for one decision to matter that much when we have so many paths to choose from in life. I had similar trouble with decision making when I was choosing my classes next year though when I thought that either taking or dropping a class would have monumental impacts on college applications or my sanity. I'm really glad that you were able to take charge of your classes this year though. It feels good to know that whether your classes turn out wonderfully or horribly that you still took the initiative to make the decision yourself.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, I too have faced the indecisiveness you describe but I have learned to overcome it by remembering that my time is valuable. I am proud of you for choosing your own courses because now you can remind yourself that you enrolled in classes because you believed in your ability to succeed. I felt this confidence for the last three years as I could not blame anyone when I faced adversity in school. When I faced fatigue from completing APENG annotations earlier this year, I remembered why I wanted to take the course in the first place; I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of writing at a high level when people previously critiqued me for my grammar. Remembering my decision for choosing my courses has helped me overcome any regret I face in taking that class.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I must say I can relate to this all too well. Last year, I decided to choose my own courses instead of letting my parents interfere and I must say there is nothing I really regret. This year, during course registration, I decided to consult my parents and my counselor. I made it clear that I wanted to make the final decisions but since they know more than I do, I figured that asking for their opinions could be helpful. I feel that though making your own decisions is important, asking others for help is also beneficial as long as your opinions are also taken into account.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! As always, I found your blog post very relatable. Sadly, I also struggle with making decisions, especially ordering at restaurants. I have been reprimanded by my parents so many times for my seeming inability to choose between two simple choices. I also wonder why I do not get better at this. As you mentioned, humans make on average 35,000 conscious decisions, yet I still can't seem to better myself? I recognize the importance and need for me to get better at decision-making, as it is a key quality in displaying independence. Also, I am very proud of you for choosing your own classes! I typically choose my own classes, but not without input from my parents. This independence also gives me some confidence in having control of my own future.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I absolutely love your blog, but what's new? Indecisiveness is most certainly something that I struggle with along with way too many people in this world. When I was choosing something to eat at a restaurant, while choosing my classes every year, for choosing between 2 things, it's almost impossible for me to make a decision. That being said, I always ask someone else to make these decisions for me, well, when they aren't as important like what I'm going to eat for breakfast. But, for my courses for example, although I have selected my classes I still make it a point to ask my teachers who have gotten to know my understanding on certain topics which class I should take. Frankly at the end of the day, making your own decisions will almost always be the right decision for you, but getting help is also a good idea at times. Not always, and not getting them to make the entire decision for you, but other people's opinions can help.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, it's interesting to see everyone—especially people born in our generation—struggle with immense indecisiveness, even for the most small decisions. This may have something to do with the advent of social media and small attention spans. The best solution I've seen work is just realizing that no one can predict the future and it's important that the decision most true to myself is chosen. When factoring in a decision that needs multiple people, the indecisiveness just grows exponentially, and that is where strategies like consensus or voting for majority come in. Quantitating qualitative decisions is also an effective tool, like through a 0-10 rating scale.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteIt's okay to share decision making with others. I love consulting as many people as possible about what courses I should take, including my parents, teachers, counselor, and even family friends. Decision making can be scary but asking for advice or input from others can give you a better idea of what decision is right for you. The knowledge and advice parents may have will be quite different from what a friend of a higher grade level may be able to provide. Everyone can provide their own perspective of the issue. At the end of the day, courses will not define you or your path in life. They should be a representation of your current interests and allow you to explore those interests early before having to finalize on a career path. Whenever there seems to be no right decision, the important thing is that you make a decision.
Hi Emily, making 35,000 decisions in only one day seems like a lot. I definitely understand what you mean, though, and I think everyone experiences indecisiveness to some degree, especially when there are too many choices. It’s hard to choose. Whenever I’m ordering anything, I always debate between trying something new (which comes with the risk that I won’t like it) or sticking to my normal order (which I know I already love). I almost always end up just ordering the same thing. Family input can help, but only so much, so I’m glad that you picked your own courses and I hope you have a wonderful senior year.
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