How To Make Better Decisions

A short, motivating talk to help you overcome perfectionism and make clear and conscious decisions. Lou shares practical insights that can help you make minor choices easier, so you have more energy for important decisions and other areas of your life.

Transcript

I'm noticing an odd phenomena come up in my coaching calls and other conversations with people.

It's something that I struggle with,

Yet I didn't know so many can relate to.

It's this feeling that every decision we make needs to be optimized to get the most out of it.

When faced with a choice,

We weigh the pros and cons and agonize over what we should do.

An example for me is scheduling.

When someone asks,

What time works for you,

I go through my week and imagining every possible scenario,

I project what I will feel like each hour of the day and when the meeting might work best.

Ordering at a restaurant is another one.

If I'm spending money,

I want to get the most out of it and get the perfect meal,

The one that just really hits the spot.

Yet with this mental agony,

Are we really getting the most out of it?

Instead of killing ourselves,

What if we just picked the first thing in alphabetical order?

We might actually get more out of it that way.

Making decisions is hard enough.

It's especially tough when we drain our vital energy trying to come up with the perfect choice.

We spend so much time trying to make the right decision that we don't have the energy to give to something better.

It's helpful to think of a distinction Seth Godin makes.

Is it a decision or a choice?

You might be like,

Lou,

Aren't they the same?

He argues that a choice doesn't have significant consequences,

I.

E.

What to wear,

Eat,

Or what store to buy organic bananas from.

Not much of your day changes whether you wear a brown or blue shirt.

This is why Mark Zuckerberg is famous for wearing the same thing every day.

Taking time to make choices robs us of energy that's better suited to make decisions.

A decision has lasting consequences.

For example,

Where to live,

Who to marry,

Or what job to take.

These demand greater attention from us,

And it would do us good to use our energy there.

Being conscious of whether it's a choice or a decision can help us wield our energy into more important matters.

Now about those decisions.

If you struggle with decisions,

You probably struggle with perfectionism.

If you're a perfectionist,

You beat yourself up when a decision doesn't live up to your high standards.

I find it helpful to esteem myself more for the act of making a decision rather than making the right decision.

As the saying goes,

Done is better than perfect.

Always making a decision at a higher level than making the right one.

Decisions give us feedback,

We then learn from the results,

And we use that information to make a better decision,

And so on and so forth.

If we're in limbo,

Unsure of what to do,

Then we're just wasting time.

If you need help on making a decision,

I actually have a daily insight that is titled,

Making Better Decisions.

So if you go to that daily insight tab and search that up or find my page,

You might be able to find it from there as well.

An affirmation to think about as you move through the day.

Life moves for me when I make decisions.

Life moves for me when I make decisions.

I hope this was helpful for you.

As always,

Let me know what you think in the comments.

If you're on Insight Timer and you use circles,

I'd love for you to join mine.

Just search Lou's Circle.

Get a chance to connect with others in this beautiful community.

As always,

Sending you so much love and support.

Namaste.

Reviews

Prior to this mediation, I honestly did not know the difference between a choice and decision. Thanks for defining each one, Lou! And, yes, I struggle with decision making due to perfectionism. The current events have put a decision before me: federal or civilian employment. I'll be sure to look for the meditation about decision making that was referenced here. Thanks so much!

Thank you, this was something new that I have not heard .Much Love and Peace ❤️✌️

Thank you so much Lou :-) I'm definitely a perfectionist and always so stressed out. This track was so comforting, especially knowing that I'm not the only one. I really appreciate your sense of humor which I so desperately needed. Trader Joe's all the way baby! Lol Thank you so much for your encouragement, I really needed it and I know I'll be listening to many many more of your tracks.💝🙏🙏

Great advice. A decision i made went pear shaped. However its better than just stagnating. A decis8iin is better than no decision.

Insightful and got me thinking in a different way. Thank you!

This is something I struggled with (but never put words to before)! Illuminating!!

Decisions or choices. Hadn't thought of it that way before. Thanks for the insight.

Well said, Lou!🙌 A must listen to if you struggle with the paradox of choice!

Choices vs decisions. I love this explanation. Thank you!

I want to wear the same outfit everydayM-F, then just stay in my p.j.'s all weekend. As a former career woman, I hated thinking I had to wear something different each day. I wasted hours of my life in those mornings. If you are youg, reading this, keep it simple, and keep your mind open. Your suit or shoe's don't matter. Or go to wearing all black if you have to. No one will notice you change it up a bit with a different shade of black. Thank you for the insight on the differences. You are a reliable worthy fellow/teacher/mentor Lou.

This is powerful. “Life moves for me when I make decisions.” Is it a choice or is it a decision…how liberating can that be.

Good talk. Next up: decisional paralysis? Yes, please.

So simple but so powerful. Glad to know ordering off a menu is hard for others, too! 🙂❣️

Packed with very useful knowledge within 4 minutes. Thank you.
🍀🙏🏾🍀

Outstanding. Gained a lot of insight in this 4 minute talk. Thank you

That was helpful advice for a very tough choice I have to make, thank you.

Ok, this one was a "save" about halfway through, for sure! Excellent insight and words of wisdom. Thank you for sharing these with here on the Insight Timer platform. I see you and the light within you. Be well. 🤲🏻💖🤲🏻

(And for those of us without a Trader Joe's within 100 miles, Publix or Lowe's are also good options. 😉)

Pandemic stress
has left me
feeling indecisive,
thanks for the
choice versus decision
example.
Simple &helpful.

Thank you for your wonderful advise as I struggle with making decisions

Very helpful tips. I like the idea of framing something as a decision or a choice.