Between our two lives, there is also the life of the cherry blossom. ~Basho
When I was a child, trying to make a decision between a red one or a yellow one I soon came to the conclusion that if I couldn't decide there probably wasn't much difference between them so it hardly mattered which one I chose!
Trouble is things have got a wee bit more complicated as I got older. Of course clutter is all about not making decisions - don't know where to put that piece of paper so add it to the pile. Don't make a decision to take action and before you know it your energy is being drained by a toleration.
I've heard people say that successful people make decisions fast - all kinds of decisions, even decisions about bigger amounts of money than I can imagine! More and more I see that not making a decision is a great way to sabotage ourselves and not do anything. And indecision certainly weighs heavy!
Here are some of my favorite ways to make decisions - and before you think some of these are decidedly woo-woo - give them a go - especially if you have anything in your life you're not making a decision about!
1. Sleep on it: this can be bit of a cop-out and a way to procrastinate - but when you really get intentional about asking the Universe for help, it normally delivers. My best advice - have a conversation with the Universe / angels / God / ________(insert your guide here). I like to have a sense of humor about it and keep it light! Often I'll wake up with the answer on my mind.
2. Ignore it: this too can be a cop-out - but when you set your intention to know which decision is for your highest good and just let it go - you'll be surprised at the signs and messages that come your way - you do need to stay conscious and watch for them!
3. Take the pressure off: you can't force things. If you try to figure out the pros and cons in your head - or worse on a piece of paper with two columns (!) your head will have a field day and you might find yourself feeling slightly crazed. Of course you do need to involve your head, but what about your heart? When you take the pressure off and give yourself some space to 'be' with the question you have more chance of connecting with your heart and listening to your body wisdom. Changing your environment is another way to take the pressure off - go be somewhere different for a bit!
4. Writing: journaling is one of my favorite ways to sort through things. Just let yourself wander all over as you ponder something. Journaling will clear your mind and has the ability to guide you to what's really going on and what's important to consider.
5. Toss a coin - want to choose between two options? Assign each, a head or a tail and listen to your reaction to the answer you get. That has the ability to cut through the confusion.
6. Enroll a pendulum to make your choice: write each option on a piece of paper, fold them up, shuffle them up so you can't know what's on each and then depending on the decision ask: 'is this one the best choice for my business, my clients and myself' (for example) as you swing the pendulum over each piece of paper in turn. Of course you need to know first, which way your pendulum swings for a 'yes' and a 'no'. Again, listen to your reaction. I just did this, this week to choose between two courses of action. What came up was the option that was the most work. I was initially disappointed, but I knew it felt right in my heart. Full disclosure: I actually went through the whole process again just to check, and that pendulum was stuck on the original choice! (I don't recommended this - it's not being very trusting and you might p*** it off!)
7. Muscle Testing: I've had good results with this. Hold the middle finger and thumb of one hand together. With the fingers of the other hand between the circle formed, try to pull them apart. You need to practice this a bit first - if it stays pretty strong it's a 'yes', if they come apart easily it's a 'no'. This is how I chose the figure to put my condo on the market for - and I got that exact figure. And it's how I chose the price to offer on my houseboat - and they accepted that figure. Guess the body is pretty wise.
8. Change the question: the quality of your question determines the quality of your answer! If you can't decide, perhaps you're not asking the best question. I like to ask something like: is this for my highest good? With my pendulum question, left to me in that case I would have chosen the easiest path - and that might have been the answer I got if I had asked a different question. But I really would rather take the path that's for my highest good - and that of my business and clients :-) even if it's not what I had planned!
Joseph Campbell was right: sometimes we need to let go of the life we have planned, to live the life we were meant to live!
Which of these decision making strategies resonate with you?
How do you make a decision?
©2010 Vicky White, Inner Feng Shui Coach.
Get Vicky White's FREE "5 Biggest Attraction Mistakes " report and her FREE articles to boost your passion, purpose and creativity at: : www.LifeDesignStrategies.com
Experience is not interesting till it begins to repeat itself, in fact, till it does that, it hardly is experience.
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