Some decisions can be tough. They may have an impact on our life, or on others. They might piss people off. They may have unforeseen consequences. That’s why we sometimes overthink or procrastinate making some decisions. Other times, we allow someone else to make a decision for us.
I’ve had my fair share of big decisions to make, and I have worked with many clients who wanted to discuss decisions they had to make in their coaching sessions. Here are 3 techniques that have helped me and that I love sharing with my clients. They will help you clarify what you really want and reach a decision. Read till the end for a bonus decision-making tip :)
TECHNIQUE #1: ASK YOURSELF THESE POWERFUL QUESTIONS
Start by defining your decision in a big statement, e.g. "quit my job", or "launch my business", or "retrain as a graphic designer".
As you work through these questions, listen to your feelings and intuition, and make sure you write EVERYTHING that comes to mind. Be spontaneous in your answers.
When you're finished, look for themes and highlight the most important points.
If you're still feeling confused you could talk through this with someone else. I personally find that putting my thoughts into words helps me find the solutions and answers. Think of a trusted friend or colleague, someone who will listen to you from a neutral perspective without trying to influence your decision.
TECHNIQUE #2: WRITE A LETTER OR EMAIL
By writing a letter or email to someone else, it will place you in the position where you have to explain your decision. It can be a resignation email, a break-up letter, an email to your parents to give them a life update…
As you write it, connect with the feelings it brings up.
When you're finished writing it, ask yourself if you're ready to send it and how it would make you feel to hit ‘send’.
If you're not ready to send it, it means you’re not ready to make that decision. Which in itself, is a decision.
TECHNIQUE #3: ASSESS THE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE
To do that, you first need to identify the important criteria in your life right now. Here are some examples:
work-life balance
money
responsibilities
family
independence
etc.
To help you assess your decision, you could also use your personal values and see if your decision would impact them positively or negatively. Here's an exercise to help you identify your values.
BONUS TECHNIQUE: FLIP A COIN
Maybe not something to use for life-changing decisions but it might help you decide where to go on holidays or what dessert to choose. And here’s what I always tell my son: if you don’t like the result, it means you wanted the other thing!
Alternative if you have more than two choices: draw from a hat!
Tell me in the comments…
Do you have another technique to make a decision?
Have you used one of these before?