Don't make a decision, lose opportunity

Quick, make a decision. Easier said than done, right? In fact, the inability to make decisions is often the greatest thing that holds you back from opportunities in life and business.

If you can’t make a decision it is important to ask yourself why. What is stopping you?

No matter what that answer is, I am sure you do not want to be in the same place next year that you are today.

What’s holding you back?

There are several things that may be holding you back from making a decision, but fear is probably the most common.

Fear

I see this often when my clients are perfectionists. They don’t want to make a decision because they are afraid that the time isn’t right, the program isn’t perfect, they don’t feel ready, etc.

So instead of taking action and embracing opportunity, they stay stuck in a cycle of procrastination. Procrastination leads to inaction.

Doubt

When you doubt their ability to make a good decision or doubt that your decision is going to work out for your benefit, you are most likely to sit in a place of indecision.

Insecurity

If you are insecure or lack self-confidence you are less likely to trust that you will make a good decision or that others will judge you for the decisions you make. A lack of trust in yourself and your abilities will lead to indecision.

Anxiety or a Negative Mindset

A negative mindset and anxious thoughts will cause you to experience negative emotions such as fear, doubt, and insecurity. As a result, you won’t make a decision and therefore you won’t achieve results.

“I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow feels better than today.” – Scarlet O’Hara

Indecision is a decision too

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve felt exactly like Scarlet O’Hara. Some days it simply feels too difficult to make one more decision.

In an article in Psychology Today, it is reported that people make up to 35,000 choices in a day. That equates to 2,000 decisions per hour or 1 to 2 decisions per second. No wonder we are exhausted at the end of the day. And no wonder the thought of making one more decision makes us feel like we might go crazy.

However, despite how hard it seems to choose at the moment you are better off choosing and moving on. If you are sitting in a place of indecision, you are at risk of losing an opportunity. Indecision will result in undue pressure and increased anxiety, stress, and worry. The inability to choose may become a vicious cycle, especially for anxious entrepreneurs. None of these negative emotions will help you take positive effective action, therefore you will not see positive results.

The decisions, or lack thereof, that you make will determine if you are in the same place in the same vicious cycle a year from now.

The wrong decision is better than no decision

It’s better to make the wrong decision than to be stuck in indecision and procrastination. At least when you make the wrong decision you’ve made a decision and you can learn from the mistake.

Making the wrong decision does not result in failure. If you look at mistakes as learning opportunities, you’ll always have the opportunity to grow and create results in the future. To advance your business or life, you must stop overthinking. Overthinking and a lack of decision-making result in a lack of success.

What decisions are you avoiding?

I recently had a call with someone who admittedly was putting off making a decision. Not one decision, but multiple decisions. The result is that she is stagnant. She not only isn’t helping the people who need her help, but she is also ignoring her God-led calling by not making decisions and taking action, she is losing opportunities, and she’s holding herself hostage to fear instead of growing and leading.

Yes, making decisions is demonstrating leadership.

Decisions that are frequently avoided in the world of entrepreneurship include:

taking the first step to start
creating a website
posting to social media
creating videos
writing emails to your list
investing time and money in coaching
hiring team members or virtual assistants
pitching for PR opportunities
scheduling sales calls
launch a program or podcast
set bold goals

This list could go on and on. But if you think about which of these areas you have been sitting in indecision, you can also see where you’ve lost opportunities for growth, revenue, relationships, etc.

Decision-making made easy

When you are aligned with your core values decision-making is less complicated

One thing you can do to simplify decision-making is to always stay aligned with your core values. When you are aligned with your core values in your life, business, mindset, and relationships you don’t have to overthink the decisions you are faced with. Staying true to your core values allows you to feel confident with your decisions. When aligned with your values you may even be able to limit the amount of time spent making decisions. Right versus wrong is more clear when you are aligned with your values. You will also alleviate anxiety and doubt, which will help alleviate overwhelm, frustration, and procrastination.

Discernment

All decision-making should begin with discernment. The key to discernment is asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. When you trust in him and allow him to guide you, you will likely make the right decision. Now, keep in mind that you have free will, a gift from God, which means you will ultimately make the final choice. But if you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will have the opportunity to make better decisions in your life and business.

Results

When faced with making decisions, evaluate the results and impact that your options will produce.

Feelings

Ask yourself how the decisions you are considering make you feel. Evaluate which decision moves you to positive emotions and feelings. Which decision makes you feel good at your core?

Eliminate the What-ifs

What negative outcomes are you “what-iffing” about? It is unlikely that the vast majority of negative what-ifs will happen. And if they do happen, ask yourself if it is fatal or if you will be able to learn from them. Are the what-if thoughts you are having realistic? Likely not.

Map out your decisions

Similar to looking at results, you can map out a decision and see the next action steps that your choice presents. Doing so will help you have a better idea of which choice to make. Ask yourself if the next action steps resulting from your decision will lead you in the direction you wish to go. If not, make a different choice. Note that it may be necessary to do a few different models with multiple action steps or flow charts to see where your choices will lead you.

What led you to this decision

Another way to help narrow your decision-making process is to look at what led you to this particular decision. Chances are, god has given you clues along the way. Look at past decisions related to the choice you are currently facing. What experiences have you had related to this choice? Have people in your life said things recently that may be a hint to where God is leading you? What pull do you feel in your heart based on the journey you’ve been on thus far? For example, if you’ve been feeling stuck, confused, overwhelmed, or frustrated while trying to start and grow your business and all of a sudden you feel an emotional connection and trust for a coach, maybe God is leading you to get help.

You know that if God has a plan for you, he will equip you, and often times he equips us through the people he puts on our path. Looking at the past, present, and future transformation opportunities will help guide you to choose the right choice.

Ask yourself, how did this opportunity come about? Can you see God’s hand in it? What conversations led to the opportunity to make this decision? Who has presented themselves to you in regard to this particular decision?

God gives you clues

Sometimes, really all the time, God gives you clues if you are open to receiving them.

Instead of making a list of pros and cons, the traditional exercise people tell you to do when trying to make a big decision, write about your thoughts and feelings about each option you have.

If you have negative thoughts about one option, you will have negative emotions and feelings around it. And since your thoughts produce your results, you will likely not take positive action if you choose that option.

On the contrary, if you have positive thoughts about an option, you will have positive emotions and feelings around it. Again, your thoughts produce your results, which means that you will be more likely to take positive action should you choose this option.

Take it one step further

Once you have recognized the action steps you will take after you make your choice, take it a step further. Ask yourself what the outcome of that action will be. Will the outcome lead to a positive impact on your, your business, and others?

The 4 areas to review when making decisions for your life and business

God wants you to be focused on him above all things. Therefore, when considering any decision, it is important to evaluate how the decisions will influence you and fit into your life emotionally, financially, spiritually, and physically.

If any one of these areas will be negatively influenced by the choice you are leaning toward, take a step back and reevaluate your options.

A prayer to guide you

Before doing any of the above activities to evaluate your decisions, pray. God wants you to come to him always and the Holy Spirit is standing by to intercede for you and guide you. Use Philippians 1:9-11 as a prayer before you dig into the exercises I previously outlined for you.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to make this decision for my life and business. Thank you for my free will to choose. As powerful as this gift is, I need your help and guidance. Please give me knowledge and depth of insight to discern what is best for my future and the future of my business as well as those I have the potential to impact through my decision. May my intentions be pure and blameless and filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus so that my decisions and actions bring you glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.