I had a friend once say to me, “Just make a decision already!” When he said it, I was slightly annoyed, but then when I really thought about it, the statement made total sense. I realized at that point, I had been teetering back and forth in limbo about an idea for way too long! The indecisiveness was actually causing me and clearly him, a lot of internal stress.
Have you felt this way before? You know you need to make a decision, big or small, but something keeps you from pulling the plug? If you are like me, you reach out to friends or family, asking for an opinion. You lose sleep over it. You spin in your head about the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s never-ending.
Add a pandemic to the mix and decision making can become even more blurry. As you read this post, our current Be Kind & Co. website is getting a big update. It’s another decision I had to make recently. Do I create more content for BKC, and push forward during an unsettled time, or do I hunker down and wait for the madness to pass? The decision came with consequences. What if the upgraded website really doesn’t make a difference in someone’s life? What if it’s a waste of money that I could be saving? It got complicated. Then we added the decision to pick a new logo for the business. Will people like it? Do we need a new logo? How do you choose?
As a woman who is trying to grow a small business, I have created these five important points for myself when trying to be decisive in all areas of my life. The next time you have to make a pretty big decision, try them out.
Realize Your Inability to Make a Decision May Be Based in Fear.
We often let our fear of the future affect our decision making. One of the best ways to move past that is to ask yourself: “What’s the worst thing that could happen? If it did, how could you keep going and face it straight on?”
You Can’t Please Everyone.
I learned this all too well by working in television news. While I have many people who follow me and love my vibe, there will always be someone who is not a fan. This issue has also showed up for me when I was trying to pick a new logo recently for Be Kind & Co. In the end, no matter how many opinions you get from others, you have to ultimately go with what you like, which brings me to my next tip.
Trust Your Gut.
Our bodies give us a sign when something is good or bad. It’s why we often hear people say something like “I just felt like something wasn’t right.” Our gut knows. We have to trust it.
Take Action.
Action creates change. It also creates success. Action just works. Even if you are terrified to try something new, or make a big change in your life, or tackle a goal like running a marathon, nothing will happen if you don’t take action. The steps, or even step, can be small, but no matter what, it’s still a step. You will see results if you keep moving forward.
Keep Reviewing These Steps When You Are Stuck.
If you can find a way to adopt tools like these, it makes it easier to move forward faster each time. Make your own tools that work for you and write them down somewhere.
P.S. Maybe you can make a quick decision right now to share this blog with someone who could use it. It sure would make me happy. Wink Wink 🙂
