Decision Paralysis: Planning Backwards to Move Forwards (DIY Edition)

August 2025

At the moment, I’m trying to sort out what DIY needs to happen in our house. The bathroom is in dire need of… well, something better. It’s horrible. It needs fixing. But of course, once you start thinking about one job, all the other things around the house start creeping in too.

I love the planning stage. I can happily imagine colours, layouts, and what it could all look like. The problem is, once I get hyperfocused on the end vision, I often forget the actual steps to get there. Everything grows bigger and more complicated in my head until I freeze and can’t move forward. I am stuck. Stuck at what the colour should be, stuck at the next step, stuck wondering if I can even be bothered, or if it’s all just too much. Stuck. This is decision paralysis.

Vision Board Loop

Recently, I’ve found myself stuck in the same loop. One thought about bathroom tiles spirals into: what colour should the walls be, should we use panels, do we rip everything out, could we gain more space by moving the door, what about storage, and then there’s the inevitable doom-scrolling for ‘bathroom inspo’. And of course, how will it all tie in with the rest of the house so it doesn’t end up looking bitty?

It’s like having a vision board in my head that won’t stay still. Every time I see a new option, it gets added in. Before long, the original idea is lost under a pile of possibilities. That’s when decision paralysis sets in.

Draw It Out

So yesterday, I tried something different. I drew the bathroom layout on paper, almost like being back at school in art or DT. Then I did the same with the kitchen, since that was also floating around in my head. Finally, I had something solid to look at instead of just letting the ideas bounce around endlessly.

It helped, but a drawing alone doesn’t redo a bathroom. The big picture is nice, but the steps to get there are where I stall.

Planning Backwards

The finished bathroom is the goal. But the reality is, it’s also on a budget. That means making choices: new tiles, a sink, paint, flooring… and deciding where the money is best spent. Labour will be the most expensive part, so we have to think about what we can do ourselves.

This is where the questions start piling up. Can we even take the tiles down? Will the plaster crumble? Do we need to remove all of them or just some? The more I think, the more overwhelming it gets.

That’s where working backwards helps. Instead of answering every question at once, I look for the blocker. Right now, it’s the tiles. We don’t know if they’ll come off easily or cause chaos. That’s the thing stopping us from moving forward.

So the first step is simple: just take one tile off.

• If it comes away cleanly, brilliant, we know the next step.

• If it wrecks the wall, frustrating, but at least now we know and can adjust.

Either way, I’ve learned something and ticked something off. That tiny step is progress. Also, a massive punch of checklist ticking off. And then, of course, comes another round of “what next?”

Possible Strategies: These Have Worked for Me, Have a Go or Make Them Your Own

Here are the key things I’ve found helpful when tackling something that feels too big:

• ➡️Plan backwards: start with the end goal, then ask what needs to happen just before that, and before that, until you land on the very first step. You could use post-its, a notebook, a mind map, whatever works for you. And then start ridiculously small.

• ➡️Make it visual (or not!): draw it out, sketch the layout, or create a vision board so it’s not just swirling in your head. Get it out of your head and onto something. If visual isn’t your thing, write it down, say it out loud, or even physically walk it through.

• ➡️Start ridiculously small: ask yourself, what can get me unstuck? how will that work? what do I need to do to get moving? and then just do that.

• ➡️Simplify and collect: keep it simple. What do you need to achieve the small step: information, time, equipment, or tools? Gather it, and you’re ready to go.

• ➡️Experiment and learn: try it out. Take one small step (like removing a single tile) and see what happens. Adjust if needed.

• ✅Hit your list up and check it off: even tiny wins build momentum and keep you moving.

• 🔁Check where you are: pause, see what’s shifted, then repeat the process if you need to.

Down with the Tile!

In the end, the bathroom might get sorted, or it might stay half-done for a while, but the point is this: progress happens when I stop trying to solve everything in my head and just take the first step. One tile down is always better than none.

And this doesn’t just apply to DIY. Working backwards and breaking things down has helped me in so many situations, from cleaning and admin to sorting out clothes or even planning a birthday. I’m lucky to have had a great coach to help me find clarity, and closest family and friends who know when I’m stuck like a deer in headlights and can gently steer me towards some logical steps.

When chaos is swirling, it makes all the difference to have some direction. Even the tiniest step forward can be enough to turn paralysis into progress.

🛠️ Whether it’s pulling tiles off a wall or untangling life’s bigger choices, breaking things down into small steps can make all the difference.

If you’d like some support to get unstuck and move forward, this is exactly the kind of work I do with my coaching clients.
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