Choose to Decide

The average adult makes 35,000 decisions everyday compared to 3000 for young children.  Although some of us may want to debate the number, I think we would all agree there are lots of decisions we make and their effect on our lives are not all the same.

And sometimes, we delay or frankly never make one.  But that is a decision too.  The data may be incomplete or unclear, opinions divided and the answer far from obvious which supports our procrastination while we wait in the “gray zone” for that missing piece.

This is the exact moment, we are reminded there isn’t an answer book in life like there is in school.  Instead our focus needs to shift from I will decide when I know the answer to I will decide because “I have the ability to figure it out”.  It’s about deciding to start…

And sometimes the “value” of that missing piece isn’t material, because you can get close and then commit to staying diligent and adjust as needed. It’s also important to remember, not all decisions are equal.  Because the consequence for many is immaterial to our overall life so delaying serves no value.

But for those life changing moments, taking time to consider the impact on our life is vitally important.  For me, it is about getting my brain and gut to agree.  It needs to feel right.  If not, something is missing.

The decision has to reflect what I really care about.  The options must explore all the possibilities to expand my thinking and allow me to focus.  Simply knowing what matters most and what matters less brings clarity.  Then writing it down or talking it out with a trusted friend or mentor brings the personal commitment and crystalizes the clarity about the decision.

The decision must be balanced in the reality of what will work if you bring persistence, dedication, creativity, intentional risk taking and your leadership mojo to the efforts.  These kinds of decisions rarely get to made with complete freedom to do as we please and there are many things outside our control.  It requires us to be intentional to optimize the outcome.

In life, people look for someone or some rule to make it clear what to do.  In reality, there isn’t one.   The job is not to find a solution it is only to create the solution that works for you and so it requires you to start so you can figure it out. The decision is yours to make and so is the consequence.  There is no escaping the responsibility if you wish to optimize your life, promote benefit for other people’s lives and eliminate what is harmful.

How do you lead with intention?  Choices will be made in life.  It’s your life, your choice.  Your life is too important to leave it to someone else to decide what matters.