Making tough decisions easier…

I had to make a really hard decision this week that tugged at my heartstrings. Emotionally I loved the idea, and wanted it to happen and all the pieces had fallen into place, but about 3 days before I had to make the final decision, doubts and anxieties that I had not been willing to listen to, began creeping into my mind. I realized that I had not done the steps that I ask others to do all the time when making decisions. I had to take a step back and go through the process even though my emotions had been telling me that I didn’t need to.

My heart had overridden my logical mind!

Thankfully, I know that I can be impulsive and act more from my heart than my head, and because I’m aware of this, I am able to catch myself and take a look at it with my “logical” brain, but my logical brain needs help.

Some decisions, especially when the consequences are high, can really cause us to struggle. It helps to know also how you make decisions…from the head or from the heart, because emotions can often override rationale. If that’s the case and you feel like you’re being driven by an emotional decision, I recommend tapping into both your inner wisdom and a logical thought process with the following questions:

• Why does this decision need to happen now?
• Am I reacting to the idea of something vs. the reality of the situation?
• How will it affect me, my family, business etc.
• How will I live with the outcomes, good or bad?
• What are the pros and cons?
• What are the doubts I am having and what is underneath them?
• Can I give myself time to pause, get quiet or sleep on it so I can process the information?
• What are the alternative solutions to this decision?
• Can I get input from others?

There is nothing worse than making a decision that you come to regret, but we can learn from these as well. To get more insight into a current situation, look back and ask yourself, what was it that drove your decision? Did you have all the information you needed, could you have taken a step back and considered something from a different angle? Did you get feedback from others, or did you go it alone, did you act from a space of emotion or rationale?

Finally, what happens once you make that decision, even though you’re not at 100%?

Just because you make a hard decision, doesn’t mean you won’t have buyer’s remorse. It could come and go, but thinking back to the answers to the questions will help to affirm your decision. I also like to remind myself of something a mentor of mine said over and over…

“Make a decision and make it right”

So, if you’re struggling with a big decision, and your emotions are running high, give these strategies a try.