Usually this So Cal girl loves the snow. The glistening and calmness it has, gives me a warm feeling in my soul. However, we did not have very much of the “white stuff” this past year. Instead we have had an array and smattering of rain, wind, sunshine, and warmer temps. Then only to be fooled by Mother Nature, we get a cold front coming through the next day. Not only were we confused, but so were the budding leaves on the trees as well as the flowers that poked their heads out of the ground, started to bloom. At that point it was “WAIT!!!!! It is too cold for me here!”

 

How many of us do that in our own lives? Get on a momentum toward a goal or project and then something changes our direction? It could be the slightest change, maybe like a wind or an absolute blow-you-off-the-path-monsoon. How you we course correct?

 

That recently happened to me. I had a project that was very important to me, in fact it was a passion to me to bring this event to fruition. It aligned with who I am and what I do in helping women. We never know what bumps in the road are going to come, when we start something. Somtimes it is our business, our personal life, or even our hobbies. What we do know, is it will not be a path that will be seamless, and that there will always be some hiccups. But what if we see red flags? What if we feel intuitively that something is not in alignment, or just doesn’t add up? Even though I knew the signs, I kept on keeping on, and every step of the way was another BUMP or even worse a pothole, the red flags were RED! It is often hard when we have outside people telling us why we aren’t REALLY feeling this way, and that what we perceive is happening what we FEEL is happening, really isn’t. They have plausible reasons, each and every time we hit that bump or pothole.

 

Why is it we do not trust our gut? When we see the signs that we need to course correct, or make a different decision, why do we keep on the same path, doing the same thing, making the same excuses? Is it feared of changing or is it that we don’t trust ourselves enough to make that decision?

 

We make decisions every day; everything we say and do is the result of a decision, whether we make it consciously or not. For every choice, big or small, there’s no easy formula for making the right decision. The best you can do is to approach it from as many perspectives as possible and then choose a course of action

that seems reasonable and balanced at that time.

 

 

1. List your options- Even if your situation seems limited; try to make a list of alternatives. Don’t evaluate at this point, just brainstorm and write down every idea that comes to mind, even if it seems a little odd. You can always cross it off the list later, but with those crazy ideas might come some creative solutions that you might not have considered otherwise. Then ask other people for suggestions, by getting feedback as to what others think about the situation can help in the decision making process.

 

2. Weigh the possible outcomes. For every option, list every possible outcome and label it as positive or negative. One way to do this is to put a plus sign (+) next to a positive outcome and a minus sign (-) next to each negative outcome; sometimes they can receive both. Then rate it with a number 1-10; 1 being the lowest

10 being the highest in the possibility of that outcome occurring. When it is put on paper and visualized it becomes more apparent to you.

 

3. Trust Your Intuition: You must feel comfortable with the decision. On your list, place markings next to those decisions that are backed up by your intuition. There are several ways to find out which those are:

 

* Imagine that it is already in place and implemented; how that feel does?

 

* Does it seem balanced and does it give you a calm energy?

 

* Do the same feelings of being unsure keep arising?

 

* Look ahead as that decision was already made; are you proud or is there regret?

 

4. Make a choice. This is, of course, the hardest step, but there will hopefully be a decision on your list that is backed up by both logic and intuition. It should have more plus signs than negative signs, and it should have your intuition’s approval. If things don’t match up clearly, though, ask for advice from people you trust. This can be a good tie-breaker.

 

5. Implement your decision 100%- Once you have made a decision, implement it totally. At this stage, don’t be confused by thinking about the other potential alternatives that you did not pick, do not let other’s sway you once you have made the decision. Know your choice and stand by it with your own empowerment.

 

6. Use this decision as a marker for others- By learning to trust your intuition, seeing red flags as red, and not making a decision to make others happy, but utilizing your gifts and ability to make a decision each time, using this process, you will stay or go on the path you should be on.

 

By using the decision making process above, I have since re-evaluated my original decision, and this process allowed me to move forward in a bigger and better way to serve the women that I started out to help. This time though, it feels REALLY GREAT!