Decisions, Decisions

35,000 that's approximately the number of decisions an Adult makes in a day according to one study.

It's no wonder one of the most challenging things I have found as an adult is the constant bombardment of decisions I need to make. Decisions that will impact not just myself, but my family for years to come. Who else can relate 🙋🏻‍♀️ ?

Decisions about where to raise our children, what career to pursue, which relationships to foster and which to let go of, where to invest, how much to invest...the list goes on.

Lately those decisions have turned into things I never thought I would have to consider such as "should I send my kids to school or do I keep them virtual," "to wear or not wear masks."

Decisions that have a substantial impact on our lives are inevitable, so how in the world can we know we are making the right one?!

As a Christian I always hear (and have been guilty myself of saying) that the right decision is the one I feel "at peace" with. Can I just be honest for a second and tell you that I have never really felt "at peace" with any decision I've had to make! I can only think of one and a few months into it I found myself feeling like it was definitely the wrong one 😂.

Every single decision I have made has left me with "what if" questions because let's be real any decision that requires change always leaves us wondering what impact it will have on our future. As humans beings we tend to spend a great deal of time and energy trying to avoid change, hence why we question ourselves so much in the decision making process.

As a Christian, prayer is always the first place I go when making big decisions, connecting with God definitely helps provide clarity, but I have found that the ball still is in my court. That's the beautiful thing about serving God - has given us free will to make decisions, yet no matter what I decide I have found that he always has my back.

I know I am not the only one that struggles with this so I want to share with you a few steps that have helped me make some of the biggest decisions of my life.

1. Pray

Prayer connects me to my creator and gives me clarity. However, don't fall into the trap of getting paralyzed here. I have seen many believers stay "paralyzed" in "I'm praying about it" all the while God is saying "I don't know why you keep praying about this because you already have all you need to move forward." Pray, but know that you may still not have all the answers you want, moving forward is going to take some Faith.

2. Outline the Pros and Cons

Focus on facts and not emotions, I cannot emphasis this enough.

I've also found that the more I focus on the facts of each decision and the less I engage my emotions the better off I am. Emotions are important, but since emotions can be fickle, making decisions based on emotions usually doesn't result in a good outcome.

Many times I literally write out the pros and cons. I'm a visual person so it's important for me to see these written out. Remember to list not just the pros and cons as it pertains to you (although certainly start there), but how each decision will impact others around you. For example - when choosing over working for one company or another, does one give you more flexibility to attend your child's extracurricular activities? Then a benefit of working for that company is the ability to be more present with your kids.

3. Tap into what you've Learned from past experiences

Have you had to make a similar decision in the past?

If answer is - Yes - what did you learn from it that you can apply now so you can make a better decision this time around.

4. Seek Wise Counsel

In an organization, the Board of Trustees is typically "the governing body of an organization and seeks to ensure the best interest of stakeholders in all types of management decisions."

We all should have a Board of Trustees in our lives.

These are individuals we trust not to tell us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear. Individuals that can shine a light on any blindspots we may have and provide a different perspective.

Mine consists of my spouse (obvi) - he's an enneagram 6 and I'm an 8, if you know anything about the enneagram you know he's a good one to have on my board 😁. I also have family and a couple close friends, and that's it. It's super important to keep this circle small to avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen.

What board members you consult really depends on the decision/s before you. Who on your board has experienced something similar? Tap into their learnings.

With experience comes wisdom, but at the end of the day remember only you and those closest to you will be living with the results of your decision, so how you move forward is ultimately still up to you.

5. Decide

This can be the hardest part for some people. However, once you make your decision you are able to move forward with your life. The more time you spend trying to figure out what the best decision is the more you can become paralyzed by doubt and fear. Certainly take the time you need to make the best choice, but just DO THE THING!

Will every decision you make be perfect - NOPE - But can you choose to learn from each one? ABSOLUTELY! Your perspective on how you approach life's decisions will either increase your anxiety or decrease your anxiety because you have put the right systems in place.

I hope these tips will serve as tools to help you navigate some decisions you have ahead of you. So what are you waiting for?

#womanoffaith #atlantablogger #workingmamastyle #thrivelife #gracedtothrive #intentionalliving #dontjustsurvivethrive #womenempoweringwomen #careerdevelopment #madetothrive #bloggermom #momblog #careergrowth #mombosslife #ownyourlife #ownyourstory #healthymoms #mentallyfit #mamalatina #yourstorymatters #parentinglife #parentingtips #corporatemama #beavisionary #herviewfromhome #createyourlife #starttoday #jesusatthecenterofitally #shebelievedshecouldsoshedid #strongmama