What decisions are you avoiding?

You make about 35,000 decisions daily according to some really thorough and patient researchers out there. Thankfully most are reflexive. Experience and habit make flushing the toilet and turning on the turn signal pretty seamless.

While all these tiny decisions are happening, you’re likely wrestling a few complex ones too. There’s always something rolling around in our heads- sometimes for years. These are things with potential and appeal, but they come at a higher cost, risk, or the discomfort of change. They’re not easy choices.

These lingering, unmade decisions can be stressful and overwhelming—but most often, they’re just a drag.

From whether to switch careers to where to go on vacation to what couch to buy that you’ll still love 5 years from now, our brains don’t differentiate very well. Big or small, unmade decisions consume mental and emotional energy. Sometimes you’re not even aware they’re there draining your focus.

So, today’s journal prompt* is simply this:

What decisions are you avoiding making?

Take a couple quiet minutes to reflect and listen. Then, write down what comes to the surface.

Once they’re in front of you, you can start sorting and prioritizing. You first sort into two buckets: 1) decide now or 2) decide later (with a time frame.) Making a conscious choice here frees up much-needed headspace. Next, you prioritize the first bucket. Write down the information needed to evaluate your options- something to Google or read, a conversation to be had, an experiment to try, etc. Armed with some data, a simple pro and con list works to gain clarity on your best next step.

Decisions are easier when you have goals to bounce them against. If you’re continuing to struggle with one, it might be calling your attention to a place where you need to get clear on what you want and what you’re willing to do to get it.

“NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU DECIDE. MAKE A DECISION AND WATCH YOUR LIFE MOVE FORWARD.” - OPRAH WINFREY