Empower Your Life: Discover The Magic of Decision Making
Do you find it difficult to make a decision? Does the need to constantly make decisions on a daily basis no matter how small or impactful they may be overwhelm you and cause you stress? We’ve all been there-needing to make a decision, unsure what to do, weighing the pros and cons and ultimately making no decision at all.
The hard truth that many people don’t understand is that NOT MAKING A DECISION IS A DECISION and it generally comes with unwanted consequences and hidden costs.
The High Price of Indecision
Indecision may feel harmless but the truth is, it comes with a cost. Your indecision could cost you time and options. While you are busy weighing your choices, opportunities could vanish. You will not always have the same possibilities available to you. You may lose your momentum as your ideas fade and your focus becomes less clear. Unmade decisions can drain your mental stamina and increase stress. The longer you avoid your decision, the heavier it will feel. You may also experience a major hit to your confidence. The more you hesitate, the more you will doubt your own ability to act which may be the most consequential result of all.
Why Do We Find It So Difficult to Make a Decision?
Indecisiveness is not about laziness or lack of ambition. It is not a character flaw nor does it define who we are. There are many reasons people find it difficult to make decisions. Learning to recognize some of those reasons will make it easier for you to understand why you may experience this issue and help you become a more decisive person. Understanding why you hesitate is the first step to tackling this problem. Probably the most common reason for indecisiveness is fear of failure as a result of making the wrong choice. Many also fear the judgement of other people. When we care too much about what others think, we lose our ability to listen to our own inner voice and do what is best for us. Sometimes we simply have too many choices. When every option looks promising, the pressure to choose the best one can be overwhelming. If you tend to be a perfectionist, you want the perfect outcome. However, since things are rarely, if ever, perfect you could get caught up in an endless cycle of analysis and overthinking. We can suffer from low self confidence or focus on a less than perfect decision that we made in the past that had a negative impact on our life. When the decision we are wrestling with involves people or things we love and care about, our emotions can cloud our thinking. We struggle with our decisions because we are afraid of hurting someone, something or even ourselves.
Understanding the possible reasons behind your indecisiveness is the first step towards becoming a confident decision maker.
How to Become a Confident Decision Maker
Becoming a confident decision maker involves building trust in your own judgement. You need to learn to listen to your inner voice and trust your own instincts. Don’t ignore gut feelings, they often reflect subconscious analysis. You are truly the only one who can decide what is right for you. Clarify the decision, identify exactly what you need to decide. Understand what is at stake. Gather the needed information to make a good decision. Gather only relevant information as too many unnecessary details can cloud your judgement. Consider all realistic choices, even those that may seem less obvious. Weigh the pros and cons, consider the impact of any possible outcomes. Set a deadline, this will insure that a decision is made. When you arrive at a decision, do so with conviction, confidence and trust in your own good judgement.
Remember, BE BOLD!! Above all…..Just make that decision! You do not want to get stuck in a cycle of chronic indecisiveness. Most decisions can be adjusted, revisited or sometimes reversed if needed. BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE THEM FIRST. Inaction is a decision and it is usually not the one you want to live with.
The Magic of Decision Making
There is something magical in the moment that we arrive at a decision. We often think of decision making as logical and strategic, which it is, but the most impactful and confident decisions we make are the ones that are intertwined with the above mentioned logic and strategy, our emotions and a clear recognition of what is best for us. The ones that say I may not have figured it all out but I choose this path, not out of fear or frustration but with the comforting knowledge that I have thoughtfully weighed my options and considered possible outcomes and am at peace with what I have decided. A decision that says I believe in this and I trust in myself and my abilities to make the right call. AND THAT? THAT IS THE REAL MAGIC.
This post is lovingly dedicated to my Dad who has taught me so much about life, life skills, work ethic and decision making. I will never forget him telling me… just make a decision. Even the wrong decision is better than not making a decision at all. No worries if you make the wrong call, anything can be figured out, everything is workable. Because of his advice, though I may have my issues….😊 The inability to make a decision is not one of them!
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