How to Think Differently About the Decisions You Make

Every moment seems to offer a choice, don’t worry about it; imagine both choices are perfect!

Choice is constantly in front of us. We decide on a turkey or roast beef sandwich for lunch. We decide whether to park the car in the first spot we see, or head down the aisle hoping for a spot close to the mall entrance. We decide on reading a book or watching a movie, cleaning the kitchen or taking a nap, DSL or cable internet, buy some music or not, eat out or cook, etc.

So often during the decision process we agonize over fear of making the wrong choice. We worry about wanting something different later. We are either worried about spending the money, or being embarrassed about the result later. It’s as though we consider every decision a lifelong commitment.

What if it really doesn’t matter? Imagine both choices being perfect for us. Imagine a great outcome either way. Take the sandwich example. It’s not that much of a leap to decide on turkey, and know that you can always get roast beef next time, right? You can imagine how great it is knowing you have saved a great choice for the future.

Let’s take the parking spot at the mall example. We think what if we head down the aisle and there is not a spot, and then we are going to be disappointed and have to search longer? Then we have to stay committed to our decision and keep searching until we find a close one. Or, if we park immediately, what if we see a close spot walking in, then we will feel like we made the wrong choice.

I suggest you shift your attention from winning or losing to how you feel. If you feel like walking right now toward the mall, park immediately. If you feel like driving around a bit, search. If you don’t find the spot right away, enjoy the drive, and the cars and people you see. If you park and find a spot closer while walking in, imagine how great the person will feel who gets that spot. Imagine that they have a sore ankle and can really appreciate it, and that you helped them. You have shifted from right and wrong, winning and losing, to simply experiencing… much nicer energy.

Okay, that feels simple, right? Thinking differently about a sandwich or a parking spot fells within reach. Now imagine the “big” decisions in your life being the same. Imagine that you have been given two wonderful choices. Both are “correct” and you get the luxury of picking whatever feels best right in this moment, without any concern for the future. We really never are done, you know. We always get to decide again and again and again. It’s simply no big deal.

Pick what feels best right now, and focus on all the reasons why you like it. Fall completely into the positive aspects of the decision. You can do it, even with the big stuff… college or no college, move or don’t move, rent or buy, find a new job or not, new car or not, even turkey or roast beef. It’s really all the same.

Don’t take it all so seriously, and better yet, simply focus all your attention on the positive aspects of the choice, and enjoy it fully while you are experiencing it. Enjoy the process, and don’t worry about the result. You can always have the new enjoyment of choosing again, and again.