Trouble Making a Decision? Are you stuck?

Some decisions are just hard.  There isn't a clear answer, and we spend lots of time struggling with what to do. Through the years, I've employed these two techniques when struggling with a decision.

Before you begin, remember this:  Mentally fretting over the problem is different from picturing the response you are choosing.  Don't get stuck fretting.  Focus on your response.

Mental Trick #1:  Do all three of these:  1.  Think about your choices in your mind.  2.  Then deliberately write them down.  3.  Finally, read them to yourself out loud (or better yet, verbalize them to someone else out loud.)

You may ask why do all three.  I will tell you why.  Each activity stimulates a slightly different part of your brain.  When you write it down, you might gain some clarity that you didn't have when you just thought about it.  

When you say it out loud, you are activating the listening part of your brain, and hearing it might invoke a different response.  Have you ever started to talk to someone about a decision you were facing, then just hearing yourself say it made the decision more clear?  That happens to most people on occasion. 

Mental Trick #2:  Deliberately make a 2 night decision, even if you are completely unsure what you want to do.  Say to yourself:  "Here's my decision.  I am going to completely live with it for two nights.  I won't change my mind or question my decision during this time.  I am going to live with my decision."  By day 3, evaluate it.  Do you feel good about it?  If so, stick with it.  If not, you can change your mind. 

Mental Trick #2 helps because it moves you past being stuck and lets you think beyond your decision. 

These two tricks aren't guaranteed.  They aren't magic, but I have found that they frequently help.  Give them a try.