Steps to life-changing decisions

Decisions are never easy. Life is full of having to make choices. Some are simple: chocolate or vanilla cone. Some are very difficult, I mean change-your-life-magnitude difficult. You can “sleep on it,” ask your mentor, or pray to your god, but whatever that decision is, you must choose.

Where’s your pen?

Write like you’ve never written before. I am all about lists; maybe it’s me getting older and the memory fading, but I write everything down. (I wish I invested in Post-It notes!) Do it at least 5 times on different days and when in different moods. You would be surprised that whether happy or sad, the end result will still be telling you to make that move, to change careers, or to not marry him.

Get up

Get walking, then go to bed. These are the two things that help solidify my decisions. Nothing is better than fresh air. Give yourself that week or month and go on a solo walk alone. Go to the park, to the grocery store, or stroll to your local watering hole. Get out by yourself into the fresh air. Nothing clears the head better than nature. Sleep too. Everyone in life is so busy, and no one seems to get enough sleep. Well, sleep is the most crucial thing our body needs. When your brain is on stimulation overload, unsure of which choice to make, go to bed.  A Hot Toddy before bed relaxes me, then I tell my brain to shut up and I block out all the chatter in my head.

Who’s it for?

Is it all about you? If it isn’t, it had better be.  Regardless of how many people in your life your decisions affect, in the end, those around you will fall into place when you put yourself first. I am sure decisions pertaining to children are always the hardest, and I cannot speak from that vantage point. But even then, what’s right for you will ultimately be right for the other loved ones in your life. Life can be full of regrets: should have, would have, could have. I believe every big jump you take only makes you stronger, wiser, and ultimately happier. It will not seem like it at first, but there is a rainbow on the other side.  

How bad is it?

Are you afraid to fail? Afraid what others think? Let me tell you, even the most secure and powerful people in the world are fearful of the same things as you on the inside. It’s a matter of perspective. Everyone is anxious, but others know how to turn angst and anxiety into a challenge or a mission. Kids are fearful when they first learn to ride a bike. Imagine the fear of a woman going through childbirth, or getting promoted to CEO. Every person has that “oh shit” moment, but they came out the other side.

Ignore your mind

Get out of your head. I’ve said this in previous posts, as we all get caught up in all the minutia going on in our brains. Every thought becomes exponentially larger than it really is. Do not overthink. And that’s the problem with big decisions; we overthink.

You’re still here

There is always a path, door, or exit available to you. Remember that when deciding to make that next step. Nothing in life is easy, and if you would just look at all the accomplishments you achieved in the past, remember in 5 years you will look at this leap of faith and think back and say, I made it, and I’m OK.