When I had the pleasure of having dinner with Daymond John, founder of FUBU and judge on the hit show Shark Tank, he mentioned that he believed the #1 skill of successful entrepreneurs was the ability to make quick decisions.
I wholeheartedly agree that being DECISIVE will move you forward faster than anything.
(A.K.A., it’s either a hell yes or a hell no. There is no hell maybe!)
See, the inability to make a choice is what keeps us stuck.
If we would just make a decision, darn it, we would realize we could just go back and course correct, and we’d still be miles ahead of the people who stay stuck.
And remember, how you do anything is how you do everything, so if it is happening in your business, it’s likely happening in your life as well.
If you consistently struggle with making decisions, here’s how it can show up:
Laziness, self-created obstacles, perfectionism, and procrastination… just for starters.
Notice where this may be happening for you.
Where are you using delay tactics? Where are you being wishy-washy?
Are you wondering what colors to use on your website, and this is taking you months to decide?
Are you spending gobs of time just trying to figure out your tagline?
(And in the meantime, you’re complaining that you’re not making money!)
Successful people don’t waffle – they take decisive action.
Make fast decisions, course correct as you go, and keep it movin’.
But… how do you make savvy decisions while also tapping into your intuition? (I believe intuition is very important to the process too.)
Well, you’re about to find out my foolproof 5 step process. 🙂
Ask yourself…
1) Does this fit in with my goals? This includes both short term and long term.
2) Does it make logical sense? (This is the “head” part.)
3) Does it feel good? (This is the “heart” part.)
4) What is the fear to excitement ratio? Does it excite you more than it makes you feel scared?
5) Faith vs. fear: Is it inspiration… or is it desperation? Notice where you may be operating from a place of fear, and making decisions rooted in fear.
If you don’t get a “yes” answer to all 5 questions, then it’s a NO.
If it is a yes – even if you don’t know how you’re going to manage it, or how you’re going to do it – it’s ok.
As entrepreneurs, we build the plane as we fly it.
So, when I find myself in a place of hemming and hawing and hesitating and waffling, I ask myself:
WHERE am I not making a decision here?
I’ve come a long way with this, because I used to deal with a lot more procrastination, and now I’ve become a lot more decisive and I take fast action.
When I find myself slipping and thoughts come up like: “Should I do this?” “What are they going to think?” “OMG this is really scary…”
I take myself through this process and check in with myself. And if it is truly a YES, I say to myself in spite of any fear:
“I’m doing it anyway. I’m doing it anyway.”
Examine where YOU might need to take a look at this in your business or your life.
Where are you not making a decision?
Start by looking at anything you might be feeling stuck about.
It’s likely that you just need to make a decision somewhere.