Decisions, Decisions: How To Make The Right Decisions For You
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela
Life is full of decisions. What should you eat for breakfast? What should you wear to work? Where should you go on vacation? Should you make that important phone call? Some decisions are easier to make than others. Some decisions have a greater impact on your life. When making decisions that have an impact on your life, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and second-guess yourself. Some steps can be taken that can ease the decision-making process.
Once you have identified a decision that needs to be made, taking time to gather information can help you make the right choice for you. This information can be internal or external. Internal information comes from self-assessment. You can do this by evaluating self-growth, your skills, and the effects on relationships. External information comes from gathering information from books, the internet, and even others’ knowledge. Gathering information can help you organize the pros and cons of the decision you want to make.
Taking the external and internal information you have gathered and organizing it into pros and cons allows you to weigh the decision in front of you honestly. Writing down all the possible positive and negative outcomes can help speed up the decision-making process, improve your understanding of the decision, and help you avoid decision paralysis. Once you can evaluate your pros and cons you can start to choose paths that are right for you. If you can come up with several different paths, you can organize them in a way that best aligns with your value system. Coming up with a few paths can help you build backup plans or even add to the path you will take.
After deciding the path you want to take, it’s time to take action. By giving yourself all the necessary information, you are ready to take the necessary steps to implement your decision. As a Life Coach, this is a very important step. Taking action helps create momentum, maintain focus, and motivate towards your objectives. After you take action on your decision, you can take some time to reflect on the outcome. Does the decision meet your needs, or do you need to alter your decision? If the decision hasn’t met your needs, you may want to go back and repeat certain steps and make a new decision.
In my life, I have had to make many decisions that I was unsure of the outcome but knew they would help me grow. Going to college, joining different research groups, marrying my husband, having my children, and becoming a Trauma-Informed Coach have all been decisions that have helped me grow into who I am today. Though I haven’t always made the right decision, I am proud of the person I am today. Mistakes in life happen, but choosing not to decide because it may have a negative impact on your life will only lead to regrets and disappointment. It’s okay to learn how to take a chance on yourself. I promise you are worth it.
As you become more confident in your decision-making, your self-esteem will grow. Having low self-esteem can have a tremendous effect on your life. Join me next week as I share some tips on building your self-esteem, and how having a healthy self-esteem can have a positive impact on your life. Always remember, we all can rise from our ashes and soar.