Decisions, decisions, decisions…how many have you made already this week? I had to get a new smartphone a few days ago, and it got me thinking about all the decisions we make. Even a decision like that one can get you stuck if you are not careful.
If someone would follow us around and track our 
decisions, from small to big, I think it would be an interesting little experiment. It may reveal a lot about us. It might even reveal more than we would care for it to do. Some of us toil over the smallest of things in life, others use their ‘gut’ response to make the most important choices in the world. We handle the stress of each decision a little differently in each situation, and of course as individuals. The young person in the room may not have reason to see a certain decision as a big one, but those of you who are older may have the experience to back why some decisions require more thought and heart than others.
A big part of what your decisions being made might tell you is the actual process you go through to arrive at a final decision. You may even leave that process to someone else and just go with the flow! 😉 At any rate, we each have a process by which we take the choices, the variables, the people or things involved, and figure out how to come to a conclusion which suits all involved the best way. Obviously, choosing a piece of gum is a little different than picking a college or changing careers, but each is applied to the process.
In church circles, we refer to this as ‘Finding God’s Will’, and carries the weight of vocation and direction into the moment. Sure, the language may be a little different for each person, but again, that is all part of the ‘processing’ that each individual has been saddled with in life. Where do I go to school? Should I take this course load? Should I go to the party? Should I date this person? Does this career suit me? What do I say to my parents to make the conversation happen? How will my kids respond to our decision for them as parents? These are all decisions that discern God’s will in life, knowing that the outcome is a little different based on the gravity of each possibility at hand.
Decision making speaks to the aspirations of the soul. So how do you go about making decisions? I start with a few questions to help me gain clarity when deciding:
- Do you have a clear understanding of all options?
- Is there someone I should ask for help in deciding?
- Can I live with the outcome I am choosing?
- What adjustments am I willing to make in order for the choice to work?
- What can I learn from this decision?
Looking for some help in your decision making? Could be 1-on-1 coaching or a workshop with your group or team, just let me know:
Lead Freely 