August 11, 2022
One of the biggest hurdles when learning online is finding the right course. With numerous platforms and thousands of courses available, you get overwhelmed with choices. Or, you might enroll in one course, only to find another course 2 days later - you leave the current course and switch to the new one. This cycle repeats itself over and over, until, in the end, you are just left paralyzed, tired of all the decisions that you had to make.
You have either not selected and started a single course, or, worse, ended up studying multiple courses partially.
Which brings us to the question: How do we select the right course? And, what to do if we find a better option later?
Letâs say you are considering enrolling in a 3-month full-stack developer course. And, yes, before enrolling youâd study the syllabus, and read all the goals and objectives of the course. The course seems good. Now, before clicking on the enroll button, you come across another course (probably suggested by the platform itself). This course seems better. This might be more exhaustive, covering more topics. So, you decide to select course 2. But, hold on: You come to another course. This one has really high ratings and reviews. Nowadays, even selecting a course is a challenge in itself.
At the end of the day, you are just exhausted from exploring all the options and decide to postpone this decision to tomorrow. What seemed like a small task, has now become an energy-sucking exercise.
This is commonly known as Paralysis by Analysis.
Monkeys, pigeons, peopleâthe one thing we have in common is that we all like having control over our choices. Research has shown that our minds equate having options with having power. Survival instincts tell us that if we have control, we are likely to survive.
Dealing with a problem usually involves evaluating simple factors to determine the best approach. For example, when you know your coffee is too hot, you wait for it to cool down before taking a sip.
But when the problem isnât easy, or many options are possible, like selecting a course, it can be challenging to determine a solution.
Analyzing too many things leads to overthinking everything.
Analysis paralysis occurs when overthinking possibilities causes indecision. With so many choices, it can feel as if every option is a potential mistake. The fear of making the wrong choice prevents us from taking any action at all.
Being paralyzed by choices doesnât sound so great. But other than slowing down our decision-making time, does it actually impact our day-to-day productivity?
Absolutely. Over-thinking has a significant impact on many aspects of our work, including:
â Lowered productivity
â Lessened willpower
â Reduced creativity
â Decreased working memory
â Lowered self-confidence
â Escalated procrastination
â Increased decision fatigue
What, then, do you do in todayâs world where there is so much information to navigate? After all, trying to stay up to date with the latest technologies, libraries, frameworks, and courses is akin to the human version of an information hamster wheel: you can run along it all day but never actually arrive anywhere. Rather, itâs up to you to decide when to stop.
To make better decisions and overcome analysis paralysis, try these proven strategies:
The brain is wired to take the most straightforward route. When faced with a difficult decision, our minds are predisposed to avoid it.
You can fight choice paralysis by setting parameters for yourself.
Setting a deadline for making the decision forces you to stop analyzing. Decide on a timeline that works for you, giving yourself time to do your research and examine the costs.
Once you reach the deadline: Enroll in the best option from the ones you have considered by that point.
For any problem we face, there is a virtually limitless supply of information we could delve into. I currently have 15 different tabs open (and referred to two books) for this article, and thatâs not even counting the windows I have open for other apps. Thatâs why itâs important to approach the research with intention.
If your choice is more than a yes or no, consider eliminating half of your options as soon as possible to avoid decision paralysis.
Use whatever criteria you need. For instance, you might have only 2 months saved for dedicated self learning. In that case, you instantly ignore all courses that last for more than that duration.
Course fee is (sometimes) a good filter too.
Having fewer options allows you to think more clearly and focus on what is important to you.
One of the culprits contributing to analysis paralysis are details; specifically, the desire to excavate deeper and deeper every new detail that arrives on scene. To satiate the intellectual curiosity that yearns for more information (and therefore stalls progress), set yourself parameters for what you need to know (now) and what youâd like to know (in the future). If the information you have now answers the call, it's time to move forward.
In my essay âThe most important skill in techâ, I argued that the most important skill you need to acquire is Follow through - it means to finish what you started. This could be a project, like creating an app/a website. Or, it could mean finishing the online course that you started.
Sure, itâs very tempting to hop on to another course or watch a completely unrelated video. But, in order to truly learn and achieve your objective, you need to focus and complete the course you are studying right now.
Yes, the other course might look better. But, you know what? Keep your head down, and first finish this course.
In his book âThe Paradox of Choiceâ, author Barry Schwartz talks about Maximizers and Satisficer.
Maximizer: an individual who seeks out the most optimal (maximum utility) outcome when making a decision.
Satisficer: an individual who is more concerned about making a decision that is âgood enoughâ and fulfills their desired criteria instead of making the best decision.
No matter how much information you have, there will always be more.
There will always be a âbetterâ course out there.
Decisions will never be optimal for this very reasonâever. There are, however, optimal moments during which decisions can be made. Remember, just because you arrive at one conclusion doesnât mean you can never adapt to a new one. Learn to make the most of the decisions you make.
Making the best decision is as simple as doing it.
Nothing is ever perfect. We will never have all the information. So the next time you feel stuck, keep this in mind: Successful people start before theyâre ready and figure it out as they go.
You will likely feel unsure, unprepared, and unqualified. But I can assure youâall the planning, researching, delaying, and revising in the world wonât make the decision any easier.
So why not start now?
Completing a mediocre course is way better than leaving a good course unfinished. And, remember, you can always come back and pursue the second course.
Ok, so this advice needs to be discussed with some subtleties:
Of course, if you are planning on investing a good amount of money for a course, you should analyze and think about your options in detail. There are cases where you have to think hard before making a call, I get it.
No, what Iâm talking about is: letâs say you are a student/employee who wants to upskill, and learn something. And, you have an array of courses available - all of them with similar curriculum, ratings, and reviews. In such a case, Iâd recommend that you just start with one course. Donât think too much about it. Approach your learning with an iterative mindset.
Despite extensive research, you will never truly know which course is better. Instead of wasting time trying to find the âperfect courseâ, you should focus on getting started. Completing even a mediocre course will allow you to use your insights and learning to understand which topic you need to work on, and which course you can study next.
You can incorporate your insights into finding the next âbetterâ course.
