This week, a member of the Inspired Girls team sent me an interesting question. As a life strategist, I get questions almost every day relating to life strategies, success, business and more. She asked such a fantastic question that I decided to answer it in this week’s e-zine.
The question was about decision-making. She’s been presented with several situations in her life that require that she make decisions…and of course, she wants to make smart decisions that benefit her in the short and long run.
So today, I’m offering simple, powerful methods for making smart choices when you’re faced with options. Even though we generally consider options to be a good thing, there is a such thing as too much of a good thing, right?
Here we go:
1. Define your values. Everyone in the Inspired Living Community hears me talk about VALUES all the time because they’re so essential to getting the clarity necessary to make smart, specific choices that you don’t regret later. If I ask you what your top 5 values are, you should be able to quickly rattle off a list because those things should be so present and evident and you should be living them every day. How do you define your values? There are many ways. Having a heart-centered conversation with a friend can be helpful. Enlisting the help of a coach is also a great way to discover your values. When new members come into the Inspired Living Community, they receive a list of over 200 values and we whittle it down to 6. I know it sounds crazy and overwhelming, but this kind of work is why they get such powerful results.
2. Put it on paper. What are the pros and cons of each option? What are the current AND future implications of your choices? It’s easy to focus on what each options will produce now and in the near future, but remember to take a look at the wide shot. What does the 5 year forecast of this decision look like? Use these answers in your process.
3. Do a 360 analysis. You guys know that I’m always using my business terms in life because I think a life that works is much like a business that works. So, examine the choice from 360 degrees – who will be affected by your choice? Which areas of your life will be impacted and how? What will you need to change in order to accommodate each option? Does the decision move you closer to or further from your stated goals? These questions can illuminate areas you may have overlooked in the process of making your decision.
The skill of making great decisions is essential to living the Inspired Life. Clarity helps us discern opportunities from distractions. Be clear about your goals and always use your goals and values as your compass for moving along your path to your destiny.
Inspired Journaling Prompt: What are your values? Think about the things you spend money and time on – these are the true indicators of what you value.
Inspired Action: What important decisions are on the horizon for you? Thoughtfully considering decisions before you’re forced to make them puts you in a position of power. Think it through and make the decision that best reflects your Inspired Life!
