Simplify your life {Week 17: Decision Making}

We are now in the fourth week devoted to time management, having started with planning and priorities and then finding focus and slowing down. Another important pillar in building a strong time management foundation is decision making.

 

So much of time management and a simplified life comes down to three things:

1. making decisions without over-thinking things
2. giving yourself permission to make the decisions
3. recognizing that much of the clutter in your home and life is simply delayed decisions

I used to be terrible about making decisions (and still have to work on it at times) and wrote previously about how I started to let go of so much and become more decisive. It is possible to start to improve this ability.

 

Dealing with the problem of over-thinking

• Put things in perspective: Life changing decisions warrant more time and reflection than day to day decisions.  Deciding on a house to buy is worth more of your time and effort in the decision making process than deciding what to order at a restaurant. Most day to day decisions will not be difficult to back-pedal from if they turn out to be wrong for you and the damage will be minimal.
• Set a limit on your evaluation process: Making pro and con lists, asking your mother or best friend for their input are all fine and helpful to a point, but not endlessly. Set a deadline for your decision making and make it to the best of your ability that day.
• Trust your gut: There is a reason so many people flip a coin to decide things big and small. How we react to the result often reveals our true feelings without the over-thinking. Trust your reaction as that feeling in your gut is uncensored.

Give or get the permission needed to make decisions

• If you are being held up by another involved person figure out what is the roadblock and take control of the situation to move it forward. Do not let someone else hold you in limbo.
• If you are the only decision maker, but afraid to commit, give yourself permission to make the best decision you can today with the information you have. Accept that, even if something does not go as expected or hoped for, there are always lessons to take away and use for next time. We only learn by doing – everything else is just theory. Many things can be corrected or replaced if needed in the future.

Delayed decisions & actions = mental, physical & emotional clutter

• Similar to what I stated above, over-thinking can lead to clutter and complexity in our lives. Sometimes we over-think things just to stay in the safe state of discussion, dreaming and planning without pushing ourselves to take action. It feels safe, but does it make you any happier?
• Let go of perfectionism. You won’t get every decision perfect. You can be organised and decide how to set up your home with basic supplies and knowledge and change things as you go. Stop waiting for more storage, a bigger house, an inspired idea, the crafty urge or the planets to align where you have time, energy and money galore. Let go of perfectionism in favour of progress.
• Focus on what next action you need to take and do it, one clutter hot spot at a time. Does something need a “home” created? Does your system not work and need a tweak to make it work better for you?
• If you take it out /use it, then put it away/complete the action. This is the key to clutter laying around your home – endless half finished actions. If you cannot immediately stop to put something away, action it or get rid of it, then set time in your daily and weekly routines to do so. A daily 20 minute household pick up can be just as effective if you do it consistently. Creating an in-tray to hold papers (only) you read, but do not act on, gives a set holding place that takes you from scattered piles and stress to a safe, consistent spot you can count on.

Challenge for this week: If this is an area you struggle with try to catch yourself over-thinking or delaying decisions and push yourself a little further than usual. Is it is a small decision or life changing? What can you do today, even if it is just a first decision in a series to come? Is clutter your issue? Stop and complete each action as you go through your day and see the difference. This takes practice so do not expect perfection, but aim for progress. Start to find homes for things that are always laying out – know these homes are not permanent, just try it out.

If this is not a challenge for you, I would love to hear your tips or about your experiences so others may learn.

Note to those blogging the challenges: Some of you will choose to do every single challenge to maintain the discipline or because they are all relevant to you. Others may wish to opt out some weeks that are not areas they need to be challenged in and I want you to know that is how I pictured this developing once we passed the “inner” ground work. I would love if every week you still came and read along and supported those that do link up.

 

Find your simple,

Deb

 

Link up for week 16 {Focus} – Add your post in the link up and take 15 minutes to check out a few other blog posts linked up. Everyone equally needs support and encouragement.

image credit: flickr user toprankonlinemarketing 

Tagged as: decision making, declutter, time management