Go left, go right, go forward, go back – every moment is filled with decisions. Stay seated, stand up, make a choice. Huge relief comes with making a choice. It’s like releasing a log jam. You can finally move. Just because you finally made a choice.
Not making a choice is a choice
Not making a choice is the most limiting thing you can do. Nothing happens if you don’t put the ball into play, if you don’t pick one direction or another to at least start moving forward. The choice may only be to learn a little more about the change you’re considering. Make certain you aren’t stuck simply because you will not make any choice at all.
A choice helps you go adventuring
You don’t have to continue to go in the direction you chose, but you do have to go exploring in that direction – far enough so that you have enough information for an informed decision. You have to explore far enough that you have knowledge of the skills you will need and an idea how you might acquire them. Making a choice is exciting. It opens new doors and new possibilities.
A choice lets you experience results
I made a choice to set my new Rainmaker site up as a membership site. It took some work and it looked great, and after the initial sign-ups that took place when I first opened my site, it didn’t continue to attract more members. I didn’t have the time or inclination to make a lot of courses and promote them and all the things that go with taking care of a membership group. I tried it. I explored it. I discovered its limitations for how I wanted to work. My informed decision was to take down the membership site.
A choice lets you change directions
In the process of doing my end-of-year reality check, I decided to make another choice, one that would change the call to action for those who come to my site. As it’s easy to change themes in Rainmaker, I found a new theme that felt right for where I am right now. In particular, it had a most lovely opt-in form for people to sign up to be connected. We’ll see what happens, but this new choice allows me to approach people more gently.
Let your “why” determine your choice
Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why will others want what you offer? I bet that since you’ve gotten better at what you do over the past year, you have new ideas and opportunities to offer. For that same reason, your target community has shifted and grown. A close look at your “why” can help you make an informed choice.
For instance, a year ago all I knew was that I wanted to help people sing a deeper song. I had no clear idea what that looked like or felt like, but I went exploring and shared what I discovered.
Recently I rewrote my “why.” It has become more specific and more tangible. I help people who want to sing a deeper song to understand their passion, their gifts and their calling so that they’re confident they’re the only ones who can deliver the message they’re called to share.
Look how specific that is, how rich the results I can help us all achieve. Re-examine your “why” on a regular basis to catch the subtle changes in focus.
Do too many choices feel a bit overwhelming?
Keep your over-arching purpose in mind and, with each choice you consider, measure it against how far it’ll advance your main purpose. My main purpose is to sing a deeper song and help others do the same. As I explore the ways to help people share the message only they can share, it focuses my choices and my work.
Are you serving beginners or advanced?
What degree of expertise do you want the people you serve to have? I like the advanced group myself and I need to know that, because it colors all my choices. Yes, I have to explain some basics, but the choice of companions is determined by the degree of skill it takes to follow a particular path. What level of seeker do you serve?
Keep your personal balance
I have made one video and I loved doing it. I have seven more scripts written and I’m still putting off taking the next step. First, I have to learn the video-editing program. I bet that will only take an hour. That’s the not-knowing-how boulder that sits in front of me!
Once I make the choice to take one step toward learning the program, that big boulder will become smaller boulders that I can step around and thus move forward. Make a small choice if you need to, just to get yourself moving. And don’t forget to applaud the results – that you did, in fact, learn to take a new step.
Allow the timing to unfold
Letting the timing unfold is tricky. Choice takes contemplation. It takes exploration. Before I switched the focus of my web site, I had been thinking about it, looking for the underlying focus I needed to find. A lot of work happened subconsciously because one day I simply did it – change my theme and figured out how to put html in the opt in form Yes, I got stuck. Yes, I read a lot of directions. And YES I DID IT!
How do you make a choice?
Are you a pros and cons list maker? That’s a mental exercise that can help you test your feelings around a particular choice.
Do you make a choice and wander down the path a bit to test it out? When you explore, you broaden your frame of reference whether you continue in that direction or not.
Do you need to learn or strengthen a particular skill? I spend 20 minutes a day on a tutorial that increases my expertise in a program or a topic.
Do you need to re-identify your core purpose before you move forward to see how you have changed? Perhaps your reluctance to move forward is because your wants and needs have changed. Take a moment to see if you’re still going in the direction you want to go.
Whatever the methodology you choose for this, just do it. Don’t stay stuck. Just decide!
To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
04–How to Redefine Yourself and the 30 Year Plan
05-Do You Have the Courage to Stand Alone
07- How to Find and Express Your Distinctive Voice
08- How Willing Are You to Change – And Why Not?
20 – Why Are You in Service?
How to Plan in Unfolding Cycles
Wander Beyond All Paths
What Do You Do in a Losing Situation?
Unfolding and the Big Bouder
Where Do You Find the Support You Need?
What to Do When You Feel Disheartened
