How to Choose

There’s one thing that virtually all of my clients have in common - across age, ethnicity, background, and regardless of the specific circumstances that led them to me:

They question their ability to make the ‘right’ decisions.

I’m going to share a secret with you: I’m going to tell you how to decide what to have for lunch. Which shirt to wear. What job to take. Who you should marry. 

Tails.

Yup, that’s right. I’m suggesting the next time you feel truly indecisive, you flip a coin.

Here’s why: when you’re still indecisive after consciously evaluating all sides of a situation, then chances are, it just is a complicated, multi-faceted, shades of grey dilemma. It means there is no ‘right’ answer. It means whatever you consciously choose will be okay. And once that choice is made, your time will be freed up to actually pursue the path, rather than standing squarely in the paralyzing angst of indecision. 

Plus, there’s a good chance that once that coin lands, whatever side it’s on will set off a little inner voice, that will clearly tell you, if you listen closely, whether it landed on the ‘right’ side or not.  

Yes, educate yourself, but with constraints - and then trust your gut. 

Do gather information. But not so much information as to thrust yourself into analysis paralysis.

Bob Lutz, company president of Chrysler in the 90s, had an intuitive insight during a weekend drive, that led to the development of the Dodge Viper and propelled a dramatic turnaround for the company.

’’It was this Subconscious visceral feeling. And it just felt right,’ he says. Lutz is not alone. In my interviews with top executives known for their shrewd business instincts, none could articulate precisely how they routinely made important decisions that defied any logical analysis. To describe that vague feeling of knowing something without knowing exactly how or why, they used words like “professional judgment,” “intuition,” “gut instinct,” “inner voice,” and “hunch,” but they couldn’t describe the process much beyond that.’” (Alden M. Hayashi, Harvard Business Review)

It May Be Time to Just Flip It

Have you heard of the paradox of choice? Turns out, a limited amount of choice is wonderful - we desire the freedom to choose - but too much choice (Hi, Tinder), and we are overwhelmed and end up less happy with our decisions.

Sometimes making a decision is a long and involved process that requires exploring age-old patterns and blocks, and looking at different styles of decision-making. Sometimes we need to try things out in situations of greater and lesser impact until we learn to trust ourselves again.