One of the biggest challenges I notice people struggle with, is  making sound decisions. We often  find ourselves trying to avoid making the wrong choice  for fear of not picking the right one.  And this often leads to paralysis of analysis or simply, procrastination. The key is understanding when a decision really matters. Here is an easy process to use when we need to commit to a decision.

Step One: The Presidential Hot Line

Wouldn’t it be awesome if with one phone call on the ‘red phone’ everything was solved? Whenever we find ourselves struggling with a decision, make sure to reach out to mentors and close friends to get their perspective. Having a core group of supporters, whether it’s through the phone, email, or text can make the decision process less daunting for us.

Step 2: The One Year Question

When faced with that moment of choosing an outcome, let’s ask ourselves this: “How will this impact my life in a year?” Will going back to school mean less time with our kids or our spouses? Will starting a new business mean tapping into our savings? To make sound decision we need to ask ourselves these big important questions. If we can continue to cultivate our decision making skills, the chances of making sound ones are more likely. Remember, we need to weigh our options and allow flexibility when need be.

Step Three: The Intuition

This step is by far one of the most important key elements. In order to make a decision, we need to develop our intuition. We start by trusting ourselves. It’s important to not second guess our choices, especially when we are feeling stressed and pressured to come to a decision. Look for small tell-tales.  If our gut tells us we need to sleep on a decision, then do so.  The next day may present us a clearer mind, and more viable options. The key is balance. Trust ourselves to know when to retreat and when to push forward.