One of the best things about doing a PhD is the freedom you get to decide your own direction. Of course, this can also cause a bit of stress if you don't know what to do. Sometimes, there are just too many options and it isn't at all obvious which is best, and choosing one path comes at the cost of all the (potentially better) others.
It's especially difficult when you're under stress, because it can feel like the consequences of a wrong choice are much more severe. This can lead to a kind of paralysis by analysis; spending so much time trying to decide action that you end up doing nothing (but expending energy and increasing your stress in the process).
In the absence of any clear signal that one path is better than the other, the only way to find out is by taking action. Maybe you'll get it wrong, but at least then you can eliminate that option and change course.
So be bold, be proactive, make decisions and keep moving forward. No great work was ever done without taking some risks.
