Major dilemma? How To Make the Right Decision!

A few times in my life I have encountered a major personal dilemma.  In each case, I had to choose a path that would have a major impact on my future. 

I was lucky to receive some good advice that first time - a wise family friend told me:

 "Step 1:  Make a decision in your mind to choose Alternative A.  Walk around for a few days, paying attention to how your gut feels.  Assume that Alternative A is going to happen, imagine how that will play out for you.  Notice how good (or not so good) you feel.  Notice how well you sleep.  Notice what your thought patterns are."

This is the important part - tuning in to that inside gut instinct of "What feels right".  If the decision isn't clear yet, don't worry.  Just keep on with the process.  

"Step 2:  Flip your mind to assume your decision moves to choose Alternative B.  Now walk around for a few more days, paying attention to how your gut feels.  Assume that Alternative B is going to happen, imagine how that will play out for you.  Notice how good (or not so good) you feel.  Notice how well you sleep.  Notice what your thought patterns are."

By this point in the process, you should be leaning toward one choice or the other, and your inner voice should be helping you make a decision.  

"Step 3:  Ask your spouse for an opinion, or those who you trust to be fair and honest with you."

 

Often, the spouse or trusted friend/family member will confirm your instinctive choice.   I have recommended this strategy to friends and colleagues, and a few have even come back to me within 24 hours of our conversation with a clear decision and great sense of relief.  
  

Trust your inner voice, pay attention and let the "mulling" of the facts and options help you make your best choice!

Work problems? The answer = just be a Duck!

Feel overwhelmed with work, pressure, politics, hassle at work?  Sometimes life or work is akin to a storm that continues whirling around you and there is no way to escape. 

My advice to my peers and colleagues:  "Just be a duck.  Let the rain from the storm wash over your back and off your feathers.  You will survive this and the craziness will pass."  


Nature has designed the duck's feathers to repel water, and sometimes we ourselves need to mentally repel the negativity or chaos of our own situations.  The goal is find ways to "center" our focus and remain calm - that enables us to think more clearly to deal with the problems at hand.


Use this mental "self defense" strategy next time you are in the middle of a stormy situation - repel the external negativity and refocus yourself on what is important!

Olny Srmat Poelpe Can Raed Tihs - See Why!

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaeonmneal pweor of the huamn mnid, aoccrdnig to rsreeach at Cmabirgde Uinervtisy, it deons’t mttaer in waht oedrr the ltteers in the word are, the only ipmrontat tnhig is the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit palce. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can siltl raed wouthit a pbrloem.

Tihs is bceasue the hmuan mnid deos not raed ervey lteter bu isltef but the wrod as a wlohe. Azmanig! So who thhguout sleilpng was iprontmat. If you can raed tish, psas the lnik on to your fdrenids.

How to make progress - even when overwhelmed with stress

"You eat the elephant one bite at a time" -- sounds a bit yucky, eating elephants, but that saying has been a strategy to maintain solid progress at work during times of crazy overload and stress.

When there are 15 projects going on simultaneously, hundreds of emails and calls piled up (unanswered) and a constant lineup of people in the office doorway (where's the "take a number" system when you need it!?) it's easy to want to shrivel up and crawl under the floor.  Progress seems overwhelming and impossible!

How to make real progress, then?

1)  Pick one task that is relatively easy to accomplish and JUST DO IT.  It doesn't matter how small the task is, doing something is progress.  Progress, however small, is success.  

2)  Once you have gained momentum by finishing one task, pick another one and JUST DO IT again.... and again.   After many tiny steps, you will eventually see noticeable progress. 

3)  Break very large projects down into smaller steps.  Create several "milestones" or mini-accomplishments, maybe 5 to 10 of them.   Then put milestones in sequential order and start working on the first one.  Viewing big projects in smaller chunks makes them seem more feasible and less overwhelming. 

4)  If you are still feeling overwhelmed, try offloading strategies:
          - delegate smaller parts of the job to others
          - create a list and sort into A, B, C priority (always do A priorities first)
          - apply the 30-second rule:  if you can finish something in 30 seconds, JUST DO IT

5)  Find and maintain support systems:
          - utilize a work buddy where you can ask for help or with whom you can bounce ideas around,

          - find someone to help review/reprioritize your total workload strategically at the "50,000 foot level"

          - exercise regularly (walk, run, do yoga, play sports) to offload the mental stress

Progress will come in waves -- it will seem like nothing happens for days or weeks, but you may be surprised at the traction and progress when you look back over a period of time.  

Don't forget what you have already accomplished -- shift your expectations to smaller chunks of achievement, and you will be more positively motivated toward future success! 



"Can't" is a four letter word! 4 Tips to break through barriers....

High performance racecar drivers and pilots overcome obstacle courses with an interesting technique. They visualize the "path around" any obstacle or barrier in their way.  

One professional pilot described the risks very succinctly:  "If you look at the barrier, you will most likely hit it.  If you look at the path around the barrier, you will be successful and maintain your momentum."

How often do we focus on the negative barriers or obstacles in our own work or personal situations?  

- I have watched teams implode because polarized groups took sides; each focused on negative aspects of the other position. 

- I have watched marriages falter because one or both parties focused on the negatives and irritations of the other partner. 

- I have watched business ventures fail because partners lost trust in each other and each "dug in" to a position that they could not work through to a resolution.

The secret?  Creative thinking, using "outside the box" analysis with the goal of creating a unified "new approach" to an agreed upon end solution.  

Ha!  Easy to say, but how does one actually accomplish this?

1) Agree on a common vision or end result; get everyone on the same page.   Restating your end result as a "vision statement" can be helpful:

2) Use  creative thinking techniques to brainstorm alternative solutions (remember: ignore the barriers and negatives, focus only on new, innovative alternatives) 

3) Filter your list of brainstormed alternatives into an agreed ranking of highest to lowest priority.  If necessary, you may have to agree first on the criteria to be applied to  calculate the ranking.  For example, must be a) within current budget, b) feasible with  existing staff resources, c) leaves no department at a significant market disadvantage, etc.

4) Remember the "people" side of these issues -- rebuild trust between polarized groups.  A great book that I have used is The Speed of Trust by Steven M. R. Covey. 




If you can break out of the downward spiral of negative emotion, you have a good chance of eliminating that 4-letter word, "can't" from the vocabulary of your business.  

It's all about focus  -- concentrate on the end vision to drive your success!

Innovation - where good ideas come from