“The fear of making a decision is the result of fearing to make a mistake. The fear of mistakes has a greater impact on you than making mistakes.” – Bob Proctor
Every day, we’re bombarded with choices. And every day we make decisions.
Decisions are an integral part of our lives, and they directly impact our quality of life. But sometimes, we struggle to decide. Sometimes we linger in uncertainty and feel paralyzed about what to do or where to go next.
Uncertainty prohibits us from taking action pursuing our passions, and living the lives we want to live. That’s why learning how to be decisive is so important because it will enable you to make decisions in the face of uncertainty.
If you’re feeling stuck in your life, and don’t know what to do or where to go next then this article is for YOU! Here are 7 steps YOU can take to conquer indecision today:
1. Get clarity on what you want and trust your intuition
Clarity is key if you want to make decisions quickly, and not overthink what you’ve decided on. Without clarity, you’ll overthink the entire situation, and end up talking yourself out of what you actually want to do.
To get clarity on what you want, start by asking yourself these two questions:
“What will choosing to do (insert) add to my life?”
“What will I miss out on if I don’t go for it?”
Then write down whatever answers come to your mind. Be careful not to overthink or try to control this exercise. You want your answer to flow freely so you’re coming from a place of intuition and internal guidance rather than ego.
2. Face your fears head-on
At the root of indecision is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of change. Fear of uncertainty. And most of all, fear of making the wrong decision.
But, if you always let your fears hold you back then you’ll never truly live your life on purpose.
In order to avoid cowering in fear, ask yourself the following questions:
“What’s the worst thing that can happen if I do (insert thing/experience)?”
“How likely is this worst-case scenario?”
“Why does this worst-case scenario scare me so much?”
“What’s the best thing that can happen if I do (insert thing/experience)?”
“How likely is this best-case scenario?”
“Will I regret not doing (insert thing/experience)? Why or why not?”
Let your thoughts flow freely and write down whatever answers first come to your mind. This exercise will allow you to put your biggest fears on paper where you can face them head-on and realize they aren’t as scary or likely as you once thought they were.
3. Create an action plan for yourself
Now that you have clarity on what you want and you’ve faced your fears head-on, it’s time to create an action plan for yourself.
Ask yourself:
“What actions will bring me to my desired outcome?”
Then use your answers to create an action plan for yourself that contains all of the detail needed for you to achieve your objective or goal. Your plan should include an outline of your goal, action steps, a timeline of when you’d like to achieve or complete certain steps, and your objectives.
Here’s an example of an action plan:
4. Release the need to be perfect
We all know there’s no such need as man-made perfection, yet we expend so much time and energy trying to create it.
When it comes to making decisions in your life, release the need to be perfect – it will just hold you back from moving forward.
Know that as you embark upon this new path, you’ll probably experience setbacks and screwups along the way. And you know what? Who cares! Some of life’s greatest teachers are our mistakes because they allow us to learn and grow.
Embrace your imperfections—they have so much to teach you!
5. Start small, and work your way up
Life is a series of small steps that turn into massive results. If you spend all of your time worrying about where to place your foot, you’ll never move forward.
Have faith, and take the first step. And then the next. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way!
6. Learn to embrace uncertainty
Whatever decision you make, know that it probably won’t turn out exactly as you want it to. And that’s okay!
Learn how to embrace uncertainty and when something unexpected does happen, be adaptable instead of broken. It’s impossible to control everything, and the sooner you realize this, the less time you’ll waste overthinking every possible outcome which will allow you to make decisions faster!
7. And finally…just do it
Did you ever wonder why Nike’s slogan “Just do it” is so powerful?
It’s powerful because it removes BS excuses, and focuses on taking action which, of course, is fitting for professional athletes and those who aspire to be like them.
When it comes to making decisions in your life, let the words, “Just do it” be your inspiration too.
Don’t delay. Don’t make excuses. Take action, starting right here, right now.
Time is a’tickin and with no guarantees, why risk wasting another second of your incredibly valuable life?
In conclusion, making decisions doesn’t have to be a gut-wrenching, anxiety-ridden process. Instead, it can be fun, exciting and freeing by using these 7 simple steps! Also, don’t forget to print the worksheet below to get started right now!
Xx,
Antasha
About Antasha Durbin: Antasha is a spiritual writer, life-long student of the universe, and psychic tarot card reader. Her website, cajspirituality.com, is dedicated to casualizing the spiritual experience and making it attainable for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Follow her for free, easy-to-digest and highly actionable advice on spirituality, mindfulness and empowered living.
Isn't it time you started living the life you've always imagined?
Just do it! I like that – to hell with it all and do it 🙂
AMEN! It’s my new life motto! 😉
It’s a good motto 😉