Written by: Elin Byrén, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If you get into analysis paralysis in decision making, learn how to release the agony and easily make decisions so you can reach those big goals.
When you are faced with a big decision, do you worry about it? Are you running different scenarios of the outcome in your head, again and again, scared of making the wrong decision and not getting the outcome you want? Reluctant to take a big leap because you're afraid to fail?
The fear of making the wrong decision is just your mind trying to keep you safe from the unknown. Because on a subconscious level, your mind thinks that the unknown is synonymous with danger, and that's why you can get paralyzed in taking any action at all. Needless to say, but staying where you are now will produce pretty much the same results as you have gotten before. That’s why it is important to make bold decisions so that you can get big results.
Instead of thinking that you only have a limited number of options and that one decision is the right decision, what if you release the pressure of the decision-making process? Reframe it to “whatever decision I make will be the right one” and “there is an unlimited number of possible right decisions”.
Your goals will change over time, so if you focus on the next step, you can't go wrong. The road to your goals rarely looks like you think, and the only way to not move forward is if you don't take any action at all. So buckle up and get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Follow these 5 steps to make you comfortable with making big, bold decisions in your life and career:
1. Listen to your gut!
What is your first instinct? What do you want to do? Don't listen to the "I can’t" and the “I shouldn’t” thoughts that come up; you don't want fear and the opinions of others to decide for you. These two voices should not dictate your future.
2. Consider the best scenario that can happen if you make that decision.
List only the positive outcomes, tangible and intangible, short-term and long-term, big and small. Feel into all the possible benefits it can lead to.
3. Consider the worst-case scenario if you make a certain decision.
Now evaluate how realistic that scenario is. It’s probably not very likely to happen, and if it does happen - go to step 4.
4. If it doesn’t work out the way that you want, then you get to choose again.
Don't view it as a failure, instead see it as a learning process. Remember that there are no wrong decisions, so reflect on what you learned or discovered about yourself and your goals and make a new decision to move you forward.
5. And finally, when the decision is made, stick with it.
Trust that no matter what you chose, it was the right decision. It's how you act and react to the outcome of that decision that moves you forward, not the decision itself.
Do you have a decision to make where you can apply these steps? Let's connect and tell me all about it!
Elin Byrén, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Elin Byrén is a Career and mindset coach and the founder and CEO of Careers with Elin. With an M.Sc. Degree and background of 10+ years in the corporate world, no matter how hard she worked, she felt like something was missing, and she didn’t get the success she wanted. Everything shifted when she got crystal clear on her goals, worked on her mindset, and took radical action. Now she is a certified NLP coach, and her biggest passion and mission is to help others who feel stuck find a fulfilling job through her signature program Empowered Career Blueprint. She is an advocate for creating success on your own terms, working smarter and not harder to maximize results, and feeling great in the process.
