As promised: One of the most important rules to follow for successful decision-making and embracing change in a healthy way!
And in fact, I’ll give you two.
Here is a great big “don’t” and then a great big “do” to start off your week right and conclude the April theme of embracing change.
The “Don’t“:
The Death Trap: Waiting to be 100% Sure of the “Right Choice”
When we make purposeful changes in our lives, we need to remember our goal or dream. Many great dreams require some sacrifices to be made, and thoughts of the potential impact of making these sacrifices can make it difficult to actually take steps toward a goal. How can we move forward in the best way possible, getting us closer to our goal in the shortest amount of time? This internal debate may paralyze us in a place of indecision. If we are waiting for the right choice to be completely clear, we will likely wait forever.
Indecision can also come up for day to day decisions of how to best spend our time. If I am not careful, I will waste too much time weighing the options, and I will occasionally miss out on a great opportunity. Not only that, if I don’t commit to doing my best with the choice that I do make, I might miss out on reaping the benefits of that choice. For instance, if I continually regret missing out on the benefits of the option that I did not choose, I will miss out on the benefits of the option that I did choose. For instance, shall I spend my day focusing on resting and rejuvenating myself, or should I try to be as productive as possible? I may miss out on accomplishing either of these goals if I don’t make a step on way or the other. I may also deprive myself of some quality rest if I spend my time thinking of
There are both pros and cons to most any considerable option. We can choose to appreciate the positives, or to be held down by the negatives. Again, we will never be completely positive about our choices without the use of faith.
But what do we need to in order to assess for the best decision possible? Even though we may not know for sure, there are certainly clues to be found that will push us in the right direction.
The “Do“:
Pay attention to your body in the moment. Somatic clues of anxiety and fear remind us that we may need to make decisions in a more calm and positive state of mind in order to move forward as confidently as possible.
Also, pay attention to your body as often as possible. The importance of physical health has been corrupted by society’s “quick fix” pass-or-fail type of thinking; keeping yourself generally well rested and healthy needs to be a priority if you expect your brain to function and make decisions.
Refer to the previous posts, which comment on self-care, support, and remembering our core values. Don’t skip these key steps – they will give you everything that you need to make a good-enough choice, whether the situation at hand is large or small.
I wish you luck and strength as you appreciate making small steps forward and celebrating the benefits of change.
Kristine