Just One Decision Away

I came across a statement that caused me to pause for a moment and reflect. It said, ‘You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.’

It was food for thought. Life is filled with many decisions and even when we refuse to make a decision or don’t make a timely one, we have made a decision.

Every decision we make comes with consequences – some mild, severe, regrettable, and others worth celebrating. The good thing is that every decision comes with a lesson.

We learn what works and what doesn’t. We have a better understanding of what we need to do differently in making future decisions.

I am a reflector and during these COVID-19 lockdowns, I have had time to review some decisions and my decision making process.

Here are some takeaways from my reflection:

Don’t give in to fear

Every decision we will ever make will come with an element of fear or worry. Will it work out or will it fail? We are concerned about regretting our decisions.

We don’t want to be blamed if things don’t go to plan and it might not be easy to retrace our steps so instead we refuse to move forward.

Yes things may not work out as planned if we make the decision, but things will definitely not change if we don’t make a decision and move forward.

Fear makes us settle. So the question is, are we happy and fulfilled with the status quo? If not, the ball is in your court.

Don’t worry too much about appearances and what others will think

Far too many times, we make or refuse to make decisions because we are worried about what other people will think and how it may affect how we are perceived. We act as though other people’s opinions matter more than we do.

In reality, people may talk but you soon find out that your topic is only the flavour of a few conversations until something juicier comes along.

Trust me people don’t think of us as often as we think they do. For the most part, they have their lives to consider so you’re not their priority. Make your decisions for you and not about others.

You have to live with your decision so refuse to be pressured

For every decision that we make, there will be many people with conflicting opinions.These can be your partners, parents, family members, friends, faith community, neighbours, colleagues and even total strangers. The fact is everyone that hears about a subject matter will have an opinion.

Some people will expect you to defer to them, others attempt to wield some powers over you, many will guilt-trip you, some will push you to think and act like themselves because somehow they know best or at least better than you.

There’s wisdom and experience available from others and if we are smart, we will tap into these. But at the end of the day the buck stops with you so stay in charge.

You know why the change is necessary and you will live with the consequences of any decisions. So think carefully and be prayerful, do your research, understand your non-negotiables and accept the price you’re willing to pay for any decision or indecision.

Take your time, press pause, press reset, unwind or just stop

Many times we don’t make certain decisions because we assume there are no wiggle rooms but there are. That’s what reflecting and checking is all about.

For any decision you need to make, allow yourself time to think and decide, give yourself permission to press pause or reset, to take a step back or stop in your tracks.

It’s your decision and you are in control of delivery and follow through. Build in time to plan, do, check and act. Repeat this cycle as often as needed.

Love yourself through the process and see potential regrets as opportunities to learn. Embrace the new with hope and cherish the journey.

Be brave

Every decision requires courage so in the words of Jon Acuff, “Be brave enough to be bad at something new.”

Remember there’s a cost to every decision and there’s a cost to indecision or the status quo. Be brave enough to critically weigh these costs and hopefully make a decision you can live with.

Thanks for reading and sharing my posts with others. See you next week.