Decisions and Choices vs. Timing and Fear – a battle we all face at one time or another when a difficult decision needs to be made. Here are some tips on making timely, hard choices:
• Stop the ‘What If’ Chatter: When decisions are difficult, the ‘what ifs’ are paralyzing. You worry you may be wrong, you may make a mistake, you may offend someone, or blah blah blah. You have no way of knowing how someone will react until you take action; you won’t know ‘what if’ until you choose. Focus on moving forward, on doing what feels right for you, and try being unattached to the outcome. Every decision is a milestone and should move you closer towards what you want.
• Just Do It: Procrastination, literally, allows time to slip away. Day by day, the fear of the outcome mounts and the weight of needing to make a choice becomes heavier and heavier. When a decision has to be made, the stress builds up as the days go by. Wasting time is never beneficial, so take a breath, connect to your intuition, and declare your choice.
• Not Choosing is a Choice: When we are asked to make a decision, and we do nothing, we actually have just made a choice. I imagine this tactic rarely presents the same results as if we actively had chose what we wanted. Speak up and start making the choices that reflect who you want to be.
• Be Grateful: The opportunity to declare what you want is a gift. Embrace it! Passing on choices leaves your fate in the hands of others, and may possibly allow feelings of insignificance to creep in. Whether it’s choosing where to go for dinner (which I am guilty of passing on time and time again) or deciding it may be time to find a new job, be proactive in acknowledging what you want to do. You matter. What you want matters. So, acknowledge you matter by making choices that reflect what you want.
Make decisions that honor your values, goals and dreams. Choose what you want to move yourself closer towards a whole, complete, and happy life.