Making Meaningful Decisions

If you are like me, there has been a time, or hundreds of times, in which you felt that you had to make a significant, meaningful decision, quickly, and you questioned yourself over and over again on what to do. Maybe you needed a new truck, and you could afford to get a brand new one, which you loved, but you felt more comfortable getting a used one, like you always had. You could see the pros and cons of all the possible choices, and there just didn’t seem to be a clear answer one way or another.

Or maybe, you, like me, have experienced the other not-so-favorite decision-making obstacle, which is allowing the fear of making the wrong decision stop you from making any decision at all! This may happen when thinking about paying off the mortgage, rather than keeping the money in the savings.

Ok – just one more! What about when you were so excited to jump in to something that made you light up with every ounce of your being, such as buying a boat you have always wanted given your love for fishing and travel, but then you thought about what your family or friends would think, and you decided not to do it.

This type of confusion, frustration, and worry can feel powerless.

Here’s the good news – there is an easier way to make meaningful, significant decisions, so that we can feel the clarity we desire, each and every time!

To have the clarity and confidence needed to make the best decisions, AVOID these mindsets:

Avoid Rushed Action

When you feel rushed, it is only for one reason – you feel afraid. You are fearful that you do not have enough time, resources, support, or enough of something, so you tell yourself the decision must be made right away or you may lose out on something. When that happens, ask yourself, “Is that really true? If I wait a few days to make this decision, will it truly matter for the outcome?” If the answer is no, then wait a few days. This allows more space and clarity in your thinking, as well as allowance for greater insight into the decision. This gives you time to ease yourself away from the problem, or decision, and into the solution or answer. You can never access the solution while being in the mindset of the problem.

As Einstein stated, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

So, in practicality, here’s what to do. When you feel rushed to make a decision, notice the fear. Then, remember who you are – a life force greater than any problem, who has direct access to an infinite source of intelligence. Quiet the fear, and put a date on your calendar in 2-3 days to go back to the decision at hand. Ask the Universe for peace of mind and guidance during the 2-3 days, and then let it go. In the meantime, allow ideas and possible solutions to come to you by relaxing and enjoying life. Then, in 2-3 days, you may find the decision is either already worked out, or clearer to you. If not, consider the information below.

Avoid Condition-based Thinking

Condition-based thinking means you are looking at your external conditions to make your decision, rather than looking within and following your inner guidance system, which is made up of your intuition, your spiritual essence, and the still, stable part of your core being. When you look outside of yourself, you are living by default, rather than from your inner power, and you give your power away to external possibility. You are in a constant state of reaction, rather than creation.  Your conditions and circumstances are always changing, and when making meaningful decisions, you want to align with the stable part of yourself, rather than the unstable external conditions.

An effective tool to use when facing a decision is to ask yourself, “What would I love and what would make me feel good?” Or, another way to put it is to ask yourself, “Given the decision at hand, what is the outcome that I would most love to see happen?”  And, when you get the answer, quiet any inner chatter demanding that you know all of the details that need to happen first, or pleading that all of the external circumstances must first be in place, before you can have what you would love. If you can quiet the “hows,” “whys,” and self-doubt, and move in the direction that you would truly love, you are aligning with your inner power and true self, and the decision will work out for you.

Avoid Caring about what Others will Think

True clarity and freedom in decision-making comes when you stop caring what others think of you and only care about how you feel! Caring about what others think is a mindset that keeps you in the cycle of indecision because of the fear of losing out on the approval of others. When you base your decision on what outside family, friends, society, or institutions would think of you, it is coming from an external place, rather than within. That is why using your inner guidance system always gives you the best answer when making a decision. Your guidance knows what make you feel good, and how to give you the best outcome!

Additionally, rather than making a decision based on others’ approval, or ever-changing conditions, you want to make decisions based on your larger purpose, or higher calling. Living with a purpose-driven mindset means you only choose to do things that align with your purpose, values, and higher calling, stripping away all of the unnecessary things in life. This creates space for decision-making to be easier and clearer.  

To avoid what others would think, and care only about how you would feel, return to the idea of what you would love. In any moment, with any decision, you have two choices – fear or love. When you choose what you would love, you are choosing to be aligned with your inner guidance, which is a communication system created just for you, to help you know which steps to take to enjoy life!

So, how do you know what the best decision is, every time?

1. Take some time to release the angst of needing to make a decision, so you can relax into making the best decision. Let go of the fear rushing you into making a decision immediately. In retrospect, you can probably look back at many meaningful decisions and realize that 99% of them did not require immediate action.
2. Allow all decisions to come from the place of alignment with your purpose, as well as what you would love.
3. Only choose the option that would feel good for you. Or, if feeling good is too much to believe in that moment, choose the option that will soothe you the most. Focus on what you would LOVE to happen from the possible outcomes, not what others believe should happen for you.

If you are interested in learning more about your inner guidance system and how to reconnect with your authentic power, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me at heather@heathersimon.com.

Guest Post Created by Heather Simon

Heather Simon is a leading edge Transformational Coach helping business owners and executives create a life they love with clarity, enthusiasm, and renewed confidence. She empowers them to think bravely and take inspired action toward creating the results they desire. You can contact Heather at heather@heathersimon.com or through her website at heathersimon.com.