making decisions
My youngest son left for overnight camp this week. While he is not new to camp this is a new place for him as his previous camp remains closed for a second summer in a row. It was somewhat of a last minute decision for him to attend this summer. As the summer school break loomed he had no plans. Watching YouTube, playing video games and hitting his tennis ball against the wall of our house seemed to be what he was going to do for the summer. Until one day in early July he announced that he would like to go to summer camp after all.
A little late to the booking game, especially in a year where numbers are limited and pandemic protocols complicate everything, I emailed a few camps to see what was available. We narrowed our options to two camps. He looked at the information for both and made a decision. And moved on. Snap. Decided. That's it. No waffling. No, I'm not sure. No rethinking. Decision made. And, off he went to camp this week to start a new adventure.
It has gotten me thinking about decision making.
What makes a decision hard? What makes a decision a 'no-brainer'?
When I think about how I make decisions I will usually consider all the information available to me at the time then sense check what my head is telling me with my gut. Even if something might make sense on paper, if my intuition is telling me no, I can't move forward. Periodically I find myself second guessing my decision and revisiting the information again. These are times when I let my head get in the way of my intuition. My original decision rarely changes but sometimes the process of reviewing things reaffirms what I am doing.
When I work with clients on projects in their homes, I am fascinated by how each individual approaches decision-making. Some are quick to decide, some agonize over their choices and some second guess every choice they make. The one constant I find is that once options have been presented and clients can see how it all comes together they are better equipped to make a decision.
Often, the hardest part is narrowing down choices and putting a plan together. Sometimes that is something you can do on your own and other times you might need some support to put it all together. Once a plan is in place and a decision is made, it is easier to move into implementation mode as the thinking, planning and gut checks have already happened.
For my son, once he had decided he wanted to go to camp, it was simply a matter of looking at available options and finalizing things. The hard part for him was deciding that he actually wanted to go to camp at all. The same is true for our homes. Once we decide what spaces are a priority and how we want our homes to function, feel and look it is a matter of assessing the options and making a plan. All while sense checking what our head is telling us with what our intuition already knows.
Decide. Plan. Implement.
For me, once I decide to do something, for the most part, I am able to move quickly into action without looking back. How do you make decisions in your life and at home? Do you struggle to decide to do something? Is making a plan overwhelming? Once you have a plan are you comfortable implementing?
I would love to know. Tell me in the comments below!
PS - If you need help putting a plan together for your home … Let me help.
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