Individual Stocks vs Index Funds for Long-Term Growth

I’m trying to refine my approach to long-term investing and keep going back and forth between picking individual stocks and just sticking with low-cost index funds. On one hand, I like the idea of finding those standout companies that could really drive growth, but on the other, it’s hard to ignore the diversification and steady returns that index funds offer. How do you weigh the potential upside of stock-picking against the simplicity and reduced risk of index funds? What factors help you decide which route to take for your own portfolio?