Making Decisions
I want to learn how to make much quicker decisions. And stop questioning them.
I spent some time one morning searching Google for the secret to making quick decisions. Most posts I read suggested silly things like weighing all your options, or making pros and cons lists. Then I ran across the golden rule of making decisions:
1. When faced with a decision and considering an answer, ask yourself the question: “Is this me?”.
(I wish I’d saved the reference, but I ran across this before starting this blog). Is this dress really me? Is this(home accessory, purse, acquaintance, boyfriend, activity planned for the evening, job, body weight) really me?
I’d say you can stretch that beyond decision-making, to create even a general life analysis. Is this behavior (relaxing, being lazy, being undermotivated) really me? Is this body weight really me? Is my significant other or acquaintance really “me”? You can take it pretty far (just be careful when it comes to personal relationships). I call this “Rule 1?, because I’ll expand on it.
The second rule comes from Steve Pavlina :
2. When faced with a decision, choose the option that makes you feel the most in control of your life.
I think this rule could really get abused in the wrong hands, but is also very useful as long it’s taken as it’s meant (I tried to carefully word to prevent that). This essentially reminds you to choose the decision that’s really best for you. I faced this in a small way today when choosing what to drink: Sweet tea or water? The answer, when I thought of the question, was water: at the time, water would make me feel healthiest. At a different point in time, say if I were really craving a sweet flavor, not particularly dehydrated and the calories were worth it, the answer might be “sweet tea”. The rules are ambiguous but you’d be surprised at how often the answer to your original question (decision) is much clearer when answering this question.
My college roommate always said, “If you’re ever hesitating, always choose ‘yes’”. At the time, that meant something more like: if you’re ever considering another beer, or considering going out, or considering dating a particular guy. It still seems to work as a corollary to the first rule of making decisions. So finally, part three, which I’ll call the “Instinct Corollary”:
3. If you’re ever hesitating, and the thing you’re hesitating about is really “me”, dive in!
Recently, I’ve been considering signing up to take a Zumba instructors class, to start teaching Zumba. Zumbais really me: I loved being in the spotlight, dancing as a kid, and I’ve always really enjoyed leading, putting together routines, and staying in shape. Of course, deciding to teach Zumba classes on the side of my web design career is a big-ish leap, but according to the corollary, I should take the leap!
Of course, the big decisions – things about relationships, career, etc – should take much more time, planning, and research (here’s where the pro/con list belongs!). Thus the title of this post. (:
I believe it! So often I have a hard time trusting and sticking with the decisions that feel right – and keep that nagging questiony voice quiet. Sheesh, won’t that little questiony guy go get lost?
Such is the path to becoming unlost.
I’m loving your blog, Therese! Are you going to WDS 2012? Hope to meet you! there! 
Wonderful! Decisions don’t have to be as overwhelming as we think they are. The only trouble sometimes is knowing whether the “yes/no” we feel in response is truly coming from our hearts or whether we’re fooling ourselves… but the more deeply I listen and the more I come to know myself, the easier it gets