How You Can Prepare to Make Better Decisions

A woman in my Dynamic Women Global Community asked me, “How do I become stronger in decision-making?” I love giving straightforward, tangible actions to questions from my clients and community. So over the next three blogs, I will share with you a 3-phase process to making great decisions.

1. Phase 1: What you can do in advance of making any decisions, so they are clearer to make.
   
2. Phase 2: What you can do in the moment of making a decision, so it's easier to make.
   
3. Phase 3: What to do after you make a decision, so you stay strong in that decision and feel confident.
   

The troubles that come from not being strong in decision-making

When you’re not strong in decision-making or you don’t feel like you’re making really good decisions, it can cause a state of worry, anxiety, procrastination, and perfectionism. 

If you don’t make a decision…

• It holds up your life
• It stops you from going after opportunities
• You might miss that window of time you have to be able to go for something
• It can cost you relationships
• It can demise your confidence

If you don't have the tools or the skill set to make strong decisions, then you're going to avoid them. You might make the wrong decision out of fear. You won't go for the opportunity that is more exciting, which could also feel riskier. Instead, you…

• play safe
• stay in your bubble
• don't push your boundaries
• AND your saboteur wins!

What You Can do Now in Advance of Making Any Decision

1. Make a Life Plan

It's really important to design your life. If we were putting together a business, we'd have a business plan, but so many people don't have a LIFE plan. That's the sad part because if you are not going to design your life how you ideally want it to be (not just based on reality), then you can end up making decisions according to what other people want… other people's agendas… other people's desires. 

Looking at the Wheel of Life helps (this is a professional coaching tool I use with my clients). We look at all 10 areas and go through them to see, Where are you now? Then, Where do you want to be?

When you know your life plan, when that's super clear, it's so much easier to make decisions because you're going to compare it to what the ideal vision is and you’ll ask yourself,  “How do I want my life to be and is this going to affect it?” 

2. Be clear about your life purpose

I do an activity around getting your life purpose statement. What I found in clients is when they know what their life purpose statement is, it helps them to make decisions because they know the path they're on. It's more obvious which decisions will take them away from that purpose, so they can choose wisely. 

3. Know your current goals ​

When you know what you want your ideal life to be and what your life purpose is, it’s much easier to create your goals. Then when you have your goals front and center, you will make decisions based on achieving those goals and it’ll be easier to stay in alignment with them.

If you do end up having to make a decision that takes you away from your goals, then you’ll have clarity on what you are saying yes to and can make a plan to adjust your current goals or create space to add in another one. 

When you have these three things, you will have a strong foundation to be able to not only make a decision but then to go after it with more confidence and more focus. 

Stay tuned for the next 2 blogs in this series where I will share what to do in the moment of making the decision so it’s easier and after it to stay strong and confident in your decision.

If you have any questions, just send me an email diane@dianerolston.com.

Read my other blogs here: 

1. 6 Ways to Get Paid What You’re Worth
   
2. The Price We Pay for Our Decisions
   
3. Stop making decisions when you’re here…