Episode 49: Making Decisions Ahead of Time
WHEN You Make Decisions Matters
Because your brain will always offer you reasons to stray…creating results from a ‘clean’ place makes a difference!
Enjoy!
Listen Here:
(The notes below are only a brief summary of what is discussed in the podcast. Be sure to listen to get all of the goodness! If you would like a full transcription of the episode, please send an email request to: angie@angie-robinson.com. We’d be happy to provide that!)
In Episode 48 [The Magic of Saying Yes + Habits with Julie Voris] , we talked a lot about habits. Sometimes sticking to these habits can be a challenge. It prompted me to want to talk about this topic of making decisions ahead of time. It will help in creating and following through on habits – and much, much more!
Setting the Stage
In this case - I’m not talking about the big decisions you make as a part of your leadership or on behalf of your team or organization. In this episode - I’m talking about decisions you make for yourself. As I always talk about - becoming a better leader and getting the results you are looking for - it takes an inside out approach - and that starts with self.
Also - in the context I’m talking about here - it’s not so much about HOW to make a decision – it’s more about WHEN to make a decision. It’s about things that will support you in your habits, your goals, the thing you want to do.
Here are some examples:
In the area of health & wellness - you might focus on a food protocol, a workout schedule, how much water to drink, etc. These are the actions needed for working toward your goal.
Or let’s say you want to create a more engaged team. You might need to schedule 1:1 conversations, brings someone in from the outside to facilitate workshops, etc. More action.
Maybe you are looking to get promoted. This might require the action of stepping up to take on a new project and having a conversation with HR and your supervisor.
With all of these actions - there are decisions to be made. It might not seem like there is a “when” to these decisions. You might think - “I’ll just do the thing when the thing comes up.”
This is where I see things go off the rails a bit. When we assume we will just do the thing in the moment – our brains can get in the way. Let me explain.
Our Brains
Our brains are complex and have several parts to them. The prefrontal cortex is our higher brain. It’s where we use logic. It’s where we can think through things from a clean, untainted place.
And then there is our lower brain (I call it the “monkey brain”. ). This is where our emotions kick in. Where our limiting beliefs hang out. Where a lot of the subconscious sits.
When we make a decision ahead of time…we use the prefrontal cortex. It makes sense. And then the time to do thing comes. Our monkey brain will start offering us opinions. “I’m too tired.” “What if I mess up?” “I’ll do it later.” When we DON’T make decisions ahead of time - we have nothing to fall back on! We are more likely to listen to the monkey brain.
And it’s really doing its job - just trying to protect us from fear, uncertainty and disappointment. Even though the intentions are good….it really does more damage. It moves us further from our goals. It gives us reason to beat ourselves up. It might give relief in the moment - but makes us free less than great in the end.
Three Steps To Take
Here are three steps you can take to make decisions ahead of time.
1) Apply the 24-hour rule (when possible). Again - when you make decisions at least 24 hours ahead of time - you are using your pre-frontal cortex.
I suggest documenting your decisions. Put them in a journal, a calendar or a planner. Take it out of your head and make it visual.
2) Identify possible obstacles. Make a list of things that could get in the way when the time comes to execute - and decide how you will overcome the obstacles if/when they show upl
Ask yourself good questions - and answer them. Here are some to consider?
What worries me with committing to a decision?
What is possible for me if I do this thing?
What good might come of this decision?
What will my life be like if I don’t do this? Do I like that?
How does this support my future self?
What moves me toward who I want to be?
Am I willing to miss out on this potential life that I could have if I do or don’t do this thing – just because I’m afraid or don’t know the outcome?
3) Have your own back. When it comes down to it - you need to obey yourself. Trust that you made your decision for good reasons.
I love this quote from Brooke Castillo (founder of the The Life Coach School): “Your success will be determined by how well you obey yourself.” – Brooke Castillo
A Few Parting Thoughts:
Eliminate “I don’t know” from your vocabulary. Because saying “I don’t know” keeps you in the swirl. And a confused mind will always fail. Not making a decision is making a decision.
When your monkey mind starts to send you messages of fear, uncertainty and doubt – kindly say “thank you – but I’ve done the work, I like my reasons and I have my own back.”
Remember - discomfort is not a good reason to not do something. Discomfort is the currency for getting what you want in life.
What do you think?
Are you willing to give it a try?
What area of your life can you experiment with?
Links
Join the Community
Join leaders just like yourself who are looking to increase their leadership confidence and positively impact the world around them. Click here: The Practically Perfect Leader Community
Please leave a review in Apple Podcasts + share with a friend
It will help others find the podcast - the more leaders we can impact - the better our workplaces and lives will be!
Schedule a FREE Consult
Click here to schedule some time - let’s talk about how we can work together through one-on-one coaching, Insights Discovery workshops or other leadership development work!