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You know you need to make an important decision, but your head starts to hurt from the responsibility of taking a step, or any step and you decide not to.
Guess what? That too is a decision! Sifting through the archives of my career history, I’m going back to basics by looking at the 3 keys involved in exercising the power of decision in any area of your life.
It is Your Call
Years ago, I reported to a fine professional, affectionately nicknamed The Boss by the team. The Boss had mastered the art of making his team take decisions. 80% of the time they were those that he wanted of course but with a tone of democracy!
Here is how he exercised the power of a decision.
The strategy was to first discuss the issue with the subordinate for buy-in. If the agreement on action took too much time or there was too much resistance, he’d calmly say “it’s your call”. This was an indicator to make a decision and handle whatever followed.
On the face of it, it would appear that The Boss got away with it but looking back, I realize that this was a lesson in exercising the power of decision.
Provided we made a logical and well-backed argument against the idea, my boss would reconsider otherwise, we followed along.
The key point is that we took a decision.
Key #1 Decisions are up to you
Remember that you always have the power to make the decisions that involve your life. There are times when we cannot control the situation. Even then, we have the power to decide which direction we want to go.
We can decide to resist, accommodate or just go with the flow.
At any point of time, we get to decide our actions, our responsibilities and our perspectives. Of course, others will try to persuade us to follow their view, but we retain the power to decide our stance.
Taking a stance means taking responsibility for our choices.
In the words of The Boss, it is our call.
Embracing the power of decision can aid us immensely in creating the life that we desire. Yet, when it comes to taking a momentous decision or a decision to change the status quo, we more often than not falter. We may choose not to make a decision which in fact is also a decision!
When you decide not to do anything about a matter that is important to you, you are basically saying that you accept the status quo even if it means being unhappy because you do not want to create ripples that might actually help you to get out of a situation for the better. In this case, exercising passive acceptance too is a decision.
This may work well when the issue in question is a non-issue but to get out of a rut or move ahead with your goals and aspiration achievement, you need to change the way you see the world and take action.
Key #2 Decisions require action
In order to bring about a required change in your life, it is not enough to decide and then sit back and do nothing. Even in the Law of Attraction and Creative Visualization, the basics of manifesting our desire require that we take inspired action.
We can do all the meditation, affirmation and visualization that we want but no miracle will happen until we get up and do some task or activity to bring our decision to fruition.
The actions that we take need to be aligned with our decision to achieve our desired result. Otherwise, it will stay no more than intent.
If you think about it, you make decisions every day. It may be as simple as what you will have for breakfast or what you will wear. It could be an impulse purchase of a pair of shoes which are on sale.
You would have made many more decisions in the course of your life which have set the direction that you are following right now.
For example, the decision of subjects that you studied at school and college. The decision to change jobs because of better pay or career path prospects. Deciding to have children, to take a loan and buy your residence, the list goes on.
The common factor that you would notice in all these decisions is that you then took action. Or even a series of actions to transform the intent into a reality. You set your life on a path that you would not have taken but for the decision plus action.
Key #3 Embody your decision by taking action
At this stage, you will realize that something has to give. If you truly want change, then be willing to do so, and commit to doing an action that signifies this decision.
Taking a decision means taking responsibility for the outcome of that decision and being accountable to you for the realization of that decision.
I recommend stepping back and assessing where you are now and where you really want to be. Think and decide on what steps are required to get you there.
World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand sums it up beautifully in his quote about chess.
Quite often we do take decisions and then fear stepping out of our comfort zones to take the next step towards our ideal life or the one that we had started out to create.
Creating change will be overwhelming and even daunting. If you break it down into an action plan and decide on just 1 baby step which you can take immediately, the intent will turn into a decision provided you actively take steps in the right direction.
Fears will surface and you will need to address them for their truth. Are they genuine concerns or is it that you are going to shake things up?
If it impacts your loved ones or lifestyle, then take them into confidence and seek support, whether it is from the family members, mentor, coach or group as required. (For more help, have a look at my post on using the Confrontation Technique).
Caveat while exercising the power of decision
The only caveat that I offer is that your actions should be taken after considering all available information. Seek more details while in the process of exercising the power of decision.
Acting on impulsive decisions is detrimental to our overall goal achievement.
If you find intense emotions involved, then take a step back. Wait for the mood to pass or pay close attention to the trigger for that emotion. Most of the time, the emotion is a manifestation of a deeper issue. You’ll need to address it separately before taking action that can change the course of our life.
In other words, make informed decisions, not enact knee jerk reactions or act in the throes of a melt-down.
One never knows what the future will bring but once we set out on a path to achieve our long-forgotten dreams or the new ones that we really crave for in the course of life, then the impossible becomes possible.
As long as one knows the intent and takes measured, informed and decisive steps, the world is your oyster.
But it all starts with exercising the power of decision.
Your turn now. Have you ever found yourself stuck in a rut and then done something to change the situation?
PS. Sometimes you know you need to do something but may be trapped too deeply in the present to think about the future.
If you need some instant self-help, then get Karmic Ally Coaching’s free 2.0 Reinventing Your Life report and workbook here.
Written By: Vatsala Shukla
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It’s like you read my mind, perfect synchronicity.
Glad the post was what you needed to read right now, Heather Maria. May all your decisions be for your higher good and that of those who matter to you.
Thank you
You’re welcome Heather Maria.
Vatsala,
Thanks for your wise words and thoughtful post. When I have a decision to make I ask the question and go inside my body for the answer. I learned this from studying body-centered coaching and also from integrating mindfulness practices into my life; e.g. body scanning and mindfulness walking meditations that get us out of our heads and into our bodies.
Thank you Pamela for sharing your insights. Sometimes our body is the best source to find answers before decision making and allowing ourselves to be guided by Intuition too.
This is really good Vatsala! Decision making is something I struggle with often!
We all do, Ruthie. When you find yourself struggling, its a sign that the decision is an important one and you want all possible information before moving forward.
Powerful (and timeless) article, Vatsala! I’m facing several large decisions and your insights will help to declutter the overwhelm of what to do next. It time to take the necessary action. Thanks you for your pearls of wisdom. Many blessings, my dear friend.
Thank you for the blessings, Cindy. We often come to crossroads in life and deciding the right path without the fear that we will look back and wonder ‘what if’, is challenging. Taking action is the only way forward and I know whatever decisions you take will be the right ones.
I have absolutely been in this situation and as you wrote – have needed to step back and not make rash decisions. It isn’t always easy, but ultimately I am the power over myself and what I do. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Stepping away from a situation and putting some distance helps to clear the mind and enables better decisions, Heather. Good decision!
Love this discussion and your quotes and graphics. I learned a long time ago that not making a decision raised too much anxiety and wasn’t worth the lack of mental stability. Fortunately, I was almost always decisive and knew I could accept the consequences of my decision.
About 20 years ago I did a transformational program that talked about the difference between a decision and a choice. A decision is something we weigh, evaluate, consider. Then we choose. How I had learned this and used it in my life long before this course, I don’t really know, but it so resonated with me. I look back and see how I was always responsible for the choices I made in life, regardless of the circumstances, and I determined how my life went. I often said to my children, not making a decision is worse than making the wrong decision.
Imagine if we were all together and could continue discussing this. It’s why I love reading blogs.
Thank you for the compliment, Roslyn!
As a younger professional, I remember being told by my mentor that not taking a decision was also a decision – so better to decide and choose a course of action, for better or worse. I agree with you completely. Wish we could all meet up over a real world cup of coffee and continue the discussion. 🙂