Decisions Don't Always Come Easy

Every day we have decisions to make. Some decisions don't require much thought. Yet, people often say that they find it hard to make decisions. I’ve been one of those people. Unfortunately, we all must make decisions all the time, ranging from trivial issues like what to have for lunch, where to eat, what to wear, how to spend our time right up to life changing decisions such as where and what to study, where to move, should I move, what career/profession should I choose and who to marry. 

 Some people put off making decisions by endlessly searching for more information or getting other people to offer their recommendations. You must make your choice, and even if it’s not the best decision, the potential consequences are rarely worth breaking a sweat. That’s what we call “trial and error”, “if at first, we don’t succeed, don’t stop there…try again.”

For a while I constantly kept relearning that the more you ponder a decision, the more confused and stuck you feel. You just want a voice from the heavens to shout down instructions and tell you what path to take. “Hey, you, take that job, date him/her, and/or don’t move there. You’ll be much happier!” The confusion of just not knowing is so uncomfortable that we tend to avoid these big decisions altogether. Of course, this does nothing but fuel a low level sense of anxiety and frustration about ourselves and our circumstances. Better known as avoidance...which has never been a great strategy for success or happiness.

Overthinking and compulsively analyzing a decision doesn’t help much either. I can easily tell you that trying to predict the future is an impossible task (lol); regardless of how certain you may feel about a desired outcome. Life is too unpredictable to know with certainty that you are making the “right” decision. Ultimately, any decision involves a leap of faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

When being faced with big decisions there are a few practical steps infused with a big dose of emotional and spiritual guidance that have helped. In other words, I start with my head but also listen to my heart.

1) Don’t make the process a bigger deal than it is. Stop trying to make anything amazing happen.

2) Try not to get caught up in needing an immediate answer.

3) Try not to confuse your intuitive feelings with other emotions or impulses.

Ask yourself some key questions:

1) Do I have all the facts to make a sound decision?

2) Is the pressure of time forcing me to make a premature decision?

3) What exactly is driving my decision?

4) Have I considered the impact (pros and cons) of my decision?

Now that you’ve done that, let’s focus:

1) Go to a quiet place. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes. Go within. Pray or meditate (or whatever feels right to you) and ask for guidance (Proverbs 2:6, Proverbs 3:5-6). Your own inner wisdom and intuition will often rise to your conscious mind when you calm the mental chaos of overthinking your decisions.

2) If you have done the work, honored your vision, examined the pros and cons, sought guidance, done your due diligence, and connected with your intuition, then make your choice, take the leap and don’t look back.

The ability to decide is the fuel for personal and professional growth. By taking your time and considering the recommended steps outlined, you empower yourself to make informed and thoughtful choices, leaving little room for future regret.