Are you struggling with a decision?  In a recent conversation, a new client was struggling with whether or not to take on a particular opportunity. Has that ever happened to you?  Whether the decision is something related to taking on a new project or taking on a new career, the process is often challenging for people.  What to do??? People often find themselves confused and overwhelmed.  Fear is often hidden underneath, which hampers clear thinking and decision making.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? 

A critical decision-making tool is to have a personal and professional vision for your future. You create a vision with detailed description of what want your life to look like in the future, let’s say, in 5 or 10 years.  It’s good to do this in all categories; such as, career/business, personal, family, financial, etc.   With this, you can make decisions more quickly and objectively.  When decisions come up, ask yourself, “How does this fit into my vision?”  “Which decision best supports what I want?” “What are the implications short term and long term?” This is where a coach or mentor can be very helpful.  With powerful questioning and listening, a coach helps you sort through things and make those critical decisions.

In this recent conversation with this client trying to decide how to handle a decision about a particular opportunity, it turns out there was a bigger decision underneath her original question that really needed to be dealt with.  It had to do with the bigger picture, the vision for her future, which she did not have. This is why this was particularly challenging for her.  Her uncertainty came with lack of clarity and fears related to both decisions.

As one of the first steps in working with clients, I help them develop a personal vision for the future and/or help leadership teams create a vision for the future of their company or department, along with their strategic plan.  It’s amazing how focus and productivity go up once this is done.  I encourage you to do this!  You will breathe easier.

If you are struggling with what to do in your personal or career life, consider this foundational piece of work – creating a vision for the future.  If you have questions or need help, contact me for a free introductory coaching session: Lois@LoisCarson.com.  Also, check out my article and free assessment on Employee Engagement which discusses the importance of having a clear vision.