Set a time limit on decision-making.
When you are choosing among options, set a time limit, then do the best you can in the time you’ve allotted. A timer is a particularly effective tool to overcome unhelpful dithering. Set a timer and make a choice.
Identify your options.
What projects or activities are possible at this point in time? Make a list. If you haven’t chosen to do the Visioning Activity, simply make a quick list. What are my options? What can I do now? What could I do next?
Prune your list.
Review your list. Is there anything on your list that makes you feel down or de-energized? If so, cross it off. For whatever reason, now is not the time to pursue that option. Does anything seem more like a “should do” than a “get to do”? Cross it off.
Assess what remains.
There are many ways to do this. How you evaluate your options depends on your current situation and your purpose in choosing among these options at this time. For example, if you’ve been killing yourself with overwork, struggling and toiling, you might ask, “Which of these options will be the easiest for me?”
If you’re feeling down and dissatisfied with your life, you might ask, “Which of these options would be the most fun for me?”
If you’re bored, you might ask, “Which of these options would be the most exciting for me?”
If you’re feeling underutilized, you might ask, “Which of these options will allow me to stretch and grow?”
If you’re feeling unfulfilled, you might ask, “Which of these options would be most gratifying?”
If you’re not sure, ask, “Which of these options is most important to me?”
Choose.
Did the preceding step pinpoint what you want to do? Excellent. Move ahead to Step 5.
If it didn’t – if you have several options competing to be your top priority – here are four ways to choose among them.
Consider the consequences. Write out the potential consequences, costs, and benefits of each option, were you to pursue it. For each option, circle the best and worst consequences and ask yourself, ‘Okay, if this happens, how significant is that?’ If there is a major negative impact of a decision, then clearly you would do better to choose another option. Similarly, if there is a major benefit to Option A over other alternatives, then you’d pick Option A. If there is little difference, then for each item ask, “What will this mean to me in ten years?”
Go with your gut. If you’re all tied up in knots and find yourself equally able to forge a rationale for – or against – every possible option, your brain is getting in the way. Forget logic. As you consider your options, what do your instincts say? Weigh each option, one at a time. Pretend that’s your choice. How do you feel? If you feel “meh” or disappointed or dread, try the next option. If you feel happy and excited, you’ve found your current priority.
Rate your options. Alternatively, apply math. Assign each option a number between one and ten that represents how much you want to do it. Whichever gets the highest number is the option you choose. If two options get the same numerical rating, here’s a technique from Yvonne Oswald to break the tie. Ask, “Which would do me the most good, this or that?” then quickly assign a number to each option. For example, “Between one and ten, which would do me the most good: working on my novel or designing a new website?” Then quickly – almost without thinking – give each one a grade. “Novel, 6; Website, 8. OK, website it is.” Whichever one gets the higher number is the option you choose.
Let fate decide. If you still can’t decide, write each option down on separate pieces of paper. Fold up the papers and mix them up. Pick one. That’s your priority. Does your gut concur? Are you excited? Excellent! Proceed to Step 5. If, however, you find yourself mildly disappointed, then pick a different piece of paper. Feel better? If so, proceed to Step Three. If not, try again until your gut does somersaults of joy letting you know that yes! – you got your number one choice. (I know this paper-picking technique sounds flaky but it’s the best way I know to help your intuition override your over-active brain. The goal here is to let your gut and your heart transmit information that is so easily masked by your clever brain’s rationalisation.)
Identify first steps.
Brainstorm what you could do to initiate progress on your top priority. ‘If I wanted to do [my top priority], the very first thing I could do would be...’ The smaller, the better. The easier, the better. The more doable, the better. The idea here is to assign yourself a few simple tasks to start you on your way. That’s all you have to do: start. For example, if your top priority is to get a college degree, a first step might be to spend fifteen minutes online, researching course catalogues and admissions requirements. Note that you are not necessarily applying…you are simply looking at some options. You could stop reading and do this right now. As soon as you select some first steps towards your top priority, you begin to make it real and you increase the probability of making real progress.
Test yourself.
Drop everything and spend at least fifteen minutes on your top priority. RIGHT NOW. Why are you still reading? You chose this book to help you get it done. Here’s your chance. Go do something to advance your top priority. Then return here.
Check your results.
Did you spend at least fifteen minutes on your chosen activity? Huzzah! You’ve found your top priority and, even better, you’ve begun! You’re on your way. Kindly proceed to the next chapter. Unless of course, you haven’t. If you weren’t able to make yourself spend fifteen minutes on what you identified as your top priority, it’s time to ask, “Is this really my top priority?” Be candid. If you couldn’t spend fifteen minutes on it, it is unlikely that this is your true top priority. No problem. Return to Step 4 and choose something else. And congratulations! You just saved yourself a lot of time, effort, and heartache by avoiding something that really wasn’t important to you.
Excerpted with permission from You Can Get It Done: Choose What to Do, Plan, Start, Stay on Track, Overcome Obstacles and Finish, Liisa Kyle, Aleph Book Company.
