Crippling Indecision
Algorithmic Decision-Making and Algorithmic Decision-Tracking
Many people struggle with decision-making. Frequently crippled by ‘analysis paralysis’ or the tendency to ‘maximize’ as opposed to ‘satisfice’ when making decisions, deep thinkers often find themselves lost in the complexity of life’s many options. Below is a technique I developed and refer to as Algorithmic Decision-Making (ADM) and Algorithmic Decision-Development (ADD), which I use with clients to thoughtfully consider which factors of each decision factor most heavily into their personal set of priorities, and - through bifurcation of life’s multiple options into two courses of action which are decide upon using a fairly simple algorithm, which yields an even simpler response: Option A: X value; Option B: X value. I created ADM and ADD to help myself navigate relationship decisions, and today I use it in my professional life. While this tool can sometimes be used to navigate complex decisions with great speed, in other cases the decision-making process requires multiple sessions in which the algorithm is repeatedly recalibrated, re-completed, and its results re-assessed. Everyone has different levels of comfort when it comes to the duration and course of their decision-making process, and that is completely okay. Provided below is an example of the blank template which can be used for making decisions about educational endeavors, relationship concerns, career issues, family situations, medical choices, and more. I hope this tool is of some use to you. Please feel free to use or adapt it for personal purposes; for professional or public uses, please kindly give me credit. If you would like any assistance using this tool, please do not hesitate to contact me at AnnaYuLee1@gmail.com.
Illustrative Example
Perhaps an illustrative example of how the simple ADM/ADD tables can be filled out in order to help a person navigate a decision they are facing.
So, to put myself in the hot seat for a moment, I work in private practice as a mental health consultant and counselor, and one of the decisions that has been most on my mind of late is whether to go back to school and the process of additional training to pursue licensure as a Marriage & Family Therapist or Clinical Counselor. Just for a little background, and for anyone unfamiliar with the practice and profession of mental health in the United States, a wide range of people can offer mental health services, but the titles of ‘consultant’ and ‘coach’ (which I go by) often imply limited levels of training and scopes of practice. On the one hand, my knowledge of my competence, as well as the support and encouragement of my mentors, colleagues, clients and friends all fill me with a general sense of security, confidence, and gladness about the work I do.
On the other hand, despite my education and years of international training and experience in consulting and counseling, my work with clients in private practice sometimes leads to situations in which my mind fills with questions of self-doubt, fear, and insecurity. This is often triggered when clients aggressively or even jokingly question my competence, ignore all my suggestions, and/or express dismay over their continued anxieties, depressive thoughts, and/or relational conflicts in spite of our continued work together. I often wonder: if I looked more ‘official’ or ‘legitimate’, would this clients’ confidence, faith, and commitment to working with me? MAYBE. But what if things got worse? What if returning to school and yet more systems of supervision and regulation tear me from the clients I love, suck me back into the organizational and institutional politics I so seek to avoid, sap me of the passion I have for my work, and leave me burned-out, exhausted, depressed, and bitter (albeit licensed)? Also, while it is hard for me to imagine this happening, what if getting licensed somehow filled me with inflated pride or false confidence in my knowledge or abilities? After all, in my mind, one of the greatest soft factors of clinical competence is humility, as defined by having an open mind and being able to see every individual as a blank slate, rather than a compilation of textbook terminology. In this way, the benefits of education and supervision can sometimes work in the shape of an inverse ‘U’. Too little is not enough, some is good, but too much can destroy a clinician’s sense of open-mindedness and/or recognition of his/her blind spots.
In honor of my time and that of my distinguished readers, I now cut to the illustrative example of ADM/ADD using this very personal set of considerations questions to come up with a two-choice (bifurcated) plan about how to navigate the mess in my mind.
QUESTION: Should I become a LMFT or LCC? (Option A: Yes; Option B; No)
My conclusion: This is a tough decision! Set myself a deadline for which to make a decision by, recalibrate this algorithm as necessary in the weeks, months, or years to come, re-complete it, and track my record on it. Take a moment to consider my progress on the ADD after every 6-8 entries.
