Your business, much like your life, is shaped by a series of decisions.
You build it choice by choice, day by day, year by year.
Most people never stop to examine HOW they make decisions. They focus instead on finding the “right answer” each time, which is a recipe for disaster.
Because, let’s face it, there is no single right answer. Not when we’re all unique, imperfect, messy humans moving through a constantly changing world.
Learning to make successful decisions (i.e. choices that fit YOUR definition of success) is one of the fastest and most effective ways to make your work life feel easier and strengthen your confidence and magnetism as a leader.
It also allows you to grow your business and navigate life transitions in ways that feel sustainable, self-honoring, and way more joyful.
That’s why I coach all my clients to become masterful, self-aware decision-makers.
I teach them to slow down, get grounded, and be brave enough to make choices that feel right FOR THEM in the short- and long-term picture.
If you’ve ever been caught in ‘analysis paralysis’—that miserable place where you spin in circles, debating options and flip-flopping between alternatives until you just about lose your mind—you know how costly it can be to have a weak decision-making process.
Or if you’re the kind of person who tends to make decisions from a place of frantic anxiety—bulldozing through your to-do list in an effort to put out fires or avoid pending (imagined) disasters—you know how miserable it can be.
So if you find yourself waffling on the direction you want to go, or you’re avoiding a decision you know you need to make because you don’t feel confident in the outcome, try this.
Recognize that a) there is no right answer, and b) you don’t need to rely exclusively on your brain to make your next decision.
You actually have THREE separate tools in your decision-making arsenal, and chances are you’re not using them all.
These tools include:
1) your intellect,
2) your sense of integrity, and
3) your intuition.
Most people approach business development as an intellectual exercise. They make strategic plans, identify market gaps, and use logic to solve for demand and desire.
These skills are important, no doubt. The problem is that our brains can dominate our decision-making, leading us to commit to choices we don’t truly like.
Rather than let your intellect call the shots, then feel queasy or frustrated when your integrity and intuition kick up a fuss after the fact, try running your decision-making through another filter first.
Start with your intuition. Notice what your gut tells you about the choice at hand. Listen to your quiet inner voice for clues and directives. Pray to whatever forces you believe in for inspiration, insights, and clarity.
Your intuition is the seat of conviction. It has the power to give you the kind of certainty and confidence your intellect can only dream of.
Once you land on your decision, filter it through the lens of your personal integrity. Confirm that your chosen direction aligns with your values, personal needs, and commitments to making the world a better place.
Last but not least, leverage your intellect to strength-test your plan and map out a strategy for executing on it. Fact-check your instincts. Do research as needed. Solicit support or feedback from mentors, colleagues and experts not because you NEED it but because it will help you illuminate blind spots and reinforce or evolve your direction to create even more of the success you want.
So the next time you’re feeling caught up in your brain’s frantic scrambling, take a deep breath and step up your game. You’ve got this!
With love,
Elizabeth
P.S. The process I’ve outlined above is exactly how I’ve gotten my private coaching clients their most powerful results. If you’re ready to blow past your mental fog, fast-track your clarity, and redesign your work and life so it feels custom-made for you, let’s talk about working together. Request a consultation with me: https://elizabethhopederby.com/contact/
