Just make a decision!
How many times has someone said that to you?
Many people struggle to make a decision. Should I or shouldn’t I do this? Is this a good idea for my business (or life)? What will my friends think of me if I do this? What if I make a mistake?
Add your own to the list.
These can cripple us and stop us from making a decision. And when we stop, we don’t move forward. We stay stuck at where we are or, worse yet, move backward.
This can be scary because the majority of us have been raised that it’s not good to make mistakes—we want to do the safe/sure thing. But a mistake is simply learning what doesn’t work. Inventors make mistakes every day. They discover what doesn’t work as they create the invention they have imagined. How many times did the Wright brothers make a mistake? How about Edison and Bell.
What would today’s world be like, if no one moved forward with their ideas because they didn’t want to make a mistake?
We learn and grow through our mistakes.
The 4 Questions to Ask
My personal development coach, David Neagle of Life Is Now, Inc., taught me 4 questions to use when evaluating an opportunity or idea. I use them to make both business and personal decisions. They are:
- Is this something I want to be, do, or have?
- Is this going to take me closer to my goal?
- Is this in harmony with God’s laws? (more life to all)
- Is this going to violate the rights of others? (take away their right to choice)
You want a yes answer to the first 3 questions and a no to #4. If you answer no to question 1, then stop there. Don’t go on to the next one. If at any point in asking 1-3, you get a no, then stop. And don’t allow “how am I going to do this?” get in the way. The how is God’s part. You simply have to make the decision.
A Personal Example in Action
Back in January an old acquaintance reached out to me about starting a podcast. As we talked, I asked myself #1. Did I want to podcast? Yes. So, I moved on to #2. I got another yes. Podcasting will give me exposure to a larger audience and help me gain new readers. Next, is doing this in harmony with God’s laws of more life to all? Yes. I will bring inspiration, encouragement, and teaching that listeners can use to make their lives better. And #4, will it violate the rights of others? No.
I progressed through these questions very quickly in my mind as we talked, because I know and am doing what I really want to do in life.
And there lies the foundational point of making decisions. Do you know what you really want? If not, that could be what’s making your decisions so difficult. After all, if you hate what you’re doing, making the decision to get up out of bed every day can be a real struggle.
My Challenge to You
Set aside some time to determine what you really want (not what you think you can do or what someone else thinks you should do).
Do you want to be a best-selling author? An award-winning author? A fiction writer?
Find that true desire and commit to achieving it. (Remember, don’t let the how get in the way.) Then as you brainstorm ideas and evaluate opportunities, use these 4 questions to gain the clarity you need to make a decision and move forward.
Questions? Leave them in the comments below.