Is your mind like a washing machine?

I’m in a phase of making big choices. Some by design, some that have welcomed (and unwelcomed) their way into view. Some will change the course of my whole life, some will be experiments that I can come back from. 

And it’s shit-your-pants scary. A squeaky bum cocktail of shoulds, coulds and what ifs. 

I’m grateful for choice, it’s nice to have the options, I’m privileged to have them, (I wouldn’t go so far as to say luxury as most are decisions I’d rather not have to make but out of necessity), but choice nonetheless which makes it come with a side order of overwhelm, panic and “what if I’m doing the wrong thing”.

My friend Cam’s words come to me at these moments - “not making a decision is making a decision.”

And that maybe if you can’t decide then maybe that’s because staying the same is your intuitive preference rather than making a new decision.

Our mind is a complicated beast, and actually not very good at multitasking which is the opposite of how we live today, juggling making dinner with finishing your presentation for tomorrow, whilst updating your socials, doing your bookkeeping, and speaking to your sister all at the same time (slice of my inefficient multitasking there.) It’s wasting a whole load of good energy doing this and avoiding the inevitable. When we’re worried about a particular decision to make, our mind likes to avoid it and busy itself with all the small stuff, but the big lad is still omnipresent. 

When we can maintain our focus, it’s like a muscle you’ll keep building so those decisions become a little easier to digits, and make. 

If you’re making the big decisions right now, try this…

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Mind Doughnut

Identification Station:

Work out what the real decision is you’re trying to make and identify why you need to make it, and what the challenge is

The next stage is dependant on how you respond to stimulus: 

Option 1:

Gather: Gather up everything you need on the subject and potential options

Option 2:

Listen to your gut: It’s powerful alright, maybe once you identify the real decision to make, and you create stillness and space, your intuition might kick in and tell you what you need to know. Sometimes that happens for me in the ambrosial hours of the morning when I first wake. 

Evaluate:

Mostly focus on impact here - what will it mean for all parts of you, for the future, for your loved ones.  

Make it:

Choose one of the options, and sit with it for a couple of days - if you still don’t feel full on board with it, it means it’s not the right decision. If you make the decision and then don’t think of it again or go full steam ahead in action, it is the right one. 

Go for it:

Nows the time. Take note on what worked and what you learnt so you can use it next time.

Go forth and make decisions sweet friend.