Indecision SAGE Column May 2010
Indecision – Is It In Your Way?
How many times do you put something down or aside to decide about later? Do you ever decide? Now wait a minute, you actually make 5 decisions every time you do that.
- You decide you can’t decide now.
- You decide it’s important enough to keep.
- You decide it’s not important enough to decide now.
- You decide where to set it down.
- You decide to ignore it.
Clients often tell me they just can’t decide what to do with stuff, ever. Over time, all that undecided stuff really takes a toll. The pure pressure of things left undone is heavy.
What if you gathered all the things you set aside to decide on later into one pile – would it be bigger than a breadbox?
How does that make you feel? Regardless of the size of the pile, there is an easy way to regain control of your decisions.
First, you need a set of criteria to make decisions against. I suggest an absolute “yes list.” These are things, people, places, events, etc. that allow you to move forward on your 3-5 top priorities. Say yes to the ones that support your progress, and no to the ones that do not.
Second, do the quick sort method on your pile. I realize you didn’t actually gather all the undecided stuff together, so just work on one accumulation point at a time. Break the pile down into 3 smaller piles, one for yes, one for no, and one for maybe. The no pile gets tossed, recycled or donated. Immediately review the new maybes. Toss the new nos, too. Then schedule your yes pile.
From now on do the deciding as the stuff comes in. It gets easier with practice. We already know you can make decisions.
Tags: clutter, important, making decisions, organize, simplify
I love this blog! I’m glad I finally took the time to catch up and read some posts. Viva Miriam! ….a great cheerleader with direction for the clutter challenged : )