General Question

niki's avatar

How do you know what to do/decide, among many informations & opinions?

Asked by niki (714points) April 8th, 2010

I admit I have a huge problem with this one (and seriously want to tackle this problem completely, since i’m not young anymore, and need to start handling life very seriously, so not to be controlled by my current sucky life’s circumstances)!

example: i always know where I want to become in life, but then, the problem always seems to be i always have so much hesitations & questions & confusions to just start DOING it.

it usually goes like this: let’s say I know I want to start a personal-development blog. but since I’m new to this thing, I’m looking for such informations on the internet, ie: how to create, how to design, etc.
But the problem is, sometimes I browse endlessly (and it is endless!), constantly searching in forums & discussion boards & websites etc on the BEST way to do it.
It sucks up my time so much, and what’s worst is, at the end, after an endless searching for other people’s opinions, I usually just felt more overwhelmed by so many variations in the opinions (why i can’t just realize that each person is different?), and even comes out more confused!
and then..I would browse, browse again, and after a week, will suddenly forget about that blogging thing, and continue searching for the perfect, best plan that will maximize/leverage where i want to become!

I have to admit, that maybe it’s because such tremendous fear/pressure of being a 27 yrs old (soon to be 28 yrs old), and all that ever-increasing parent’s expectations (and here in Asia, it’s kinda a tradition i have to follow my dad’s footsteps or business, which i really hate it or have zero interest in it),
and thus, comes the need for searching that PERFECT “how to start” plan,..while ironically, it only makes me felt very overwhelmed because of too many informations (on the internet especially), and opinions (sometimes even contradictory ones!), and just generally don’t know how or where to START!

for those of you who’ve done a LOT of things in life, and this includes from most, very important thing like: what to choose/do in career (and make money to feed the stomach), how to speak to your parents if you don’t agree with their decisions, until the ‘not so urgent’ one like: starting a carpentry, start teaching, start the bookstore or library business, even planning to skydiving, etc.
HOW or from WHERE i should start?
how do you manage/able to seek for informations (especially if you’re new to the thing you’re about to to start/do), and not getting drowned in the seemingly endless sea of informations and people’s opinions?
how to also KNOW the right/correct opinion to hear, and the wrong opinion to hear?
and how to STOP looking endlessly for that perfect plan or answer, and able to just DO it? (easier said than done, at least for me, who often have such complex thought process!)

bottom line: how do you know where to start,
and how to really start, just do it, and stick with it?
thanks!

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18 Answers

lilikoi's avatar

Here’s what I think you should do: Make a list. List all of the questions you need to have answered before you can make a decision. Get all the answers to those questions. Look at the information you have and make a decision.

Do you feel that life is more about experiences? Sometimes sticking with things forever doesn’t make a person happy. Some people just need to do things simply to do them, and then move on before perfecting that thing to other more interesting endeavors.

netgrrl's avatar

The devil is in the details, they always say. Why not put a time limit on your research? When you reach the deadline, make a decision based on what you know so far – and move forward.

ninjacolin's avatar

Stop asking, start doing. Experience is the most important kind of research in these cases. :)

partyparty's avatar

Why not start by writing down what you think you would like to do or achieve.
Then write down how you could go about achieving these things.
Then go out and do it. Don’t spend your life researching something you MAY be able to achieve. Life will pass you by if you don’t just do what you want to do.

JeffVader's avatar

I think I suffer abit from the same issue. What I do, & it does sometimes work, is to stop trying to tackle it all, as you seem to try. When there is anything you want to do or achieve break it down into smaller tasks & try to focus on just that one thing. Otherwise it all just becomes overwhelming & you find, after many hours or days procrastination, that you’ve achieved nothing at all.

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

I’m 53 and still haven’t decided what I want to do when I grow up. Sorry, I don’t know anything about blogs. I toyed with the idea of an organic farming blog, but with my almost non-existant knowledge of computers, I’d have to hire somewon to set it up. I like the idea of drawing up lists and outlines. When you see it on paper, things become easier to edit and rearrange. Good luck!

stump's avatar

The word information is already plural.

You can’t avoid mistakes. It is much better to try something you are not sure about, than to never try because you are afraid of making a mistake. I went to NYC to become an actor and spent five years wasting time before I went to my first audition, because I was afraid. I got my first acting job from my seventh audtion, two weeks after I started auditioning. I wasted five years!!!! Don’t waste any more time.

Also, whatever you start now doesn’t have to be what you do for the rest of your life. If you start a blog and decide after a while that you don’t like it, you can stop and do something else. You will have gained valuable experience.

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

@stump s answer is far better than mine.

mattbrowne's avatar

Use your well-lubricated prefrontal cortex.

ucme's avatar

Instinct & intuition.Can’t go far wrong.

Exhausted's avatar

Sounds like the best suggstions have already been made. I have nothing better to add. Good Luck!

TogoldorMandar's avatar

Compare i think

critter1982's avatar

Just start! Make a valiant effort in minimizing risk, to the extent that it’s economical, and just start. The best way to learn is not from other people but by doing it yourself. You will make mistakes, however you will learn from them, and before you know it people will be asking you how to do these things.

evandad's avatar

Flip a coin

ninjacolin's avatar

It’s funny because you’re essentially asking how a “choice” is made.

Jewel's avatar

Stop looking and waiting for a place and a moment to start! JUST START!! Jump in. You will fail at some things, but you will suceed at more, and you will learn with each start, how to do it easier and with greater confidence. We all do this. We take a chance, trust ourselves, learn to live with the fear and not hide from it. Just take the first step. Then the next. And the next. If you keep waiting, you will never do anything!

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