A lot has happened to me on my way and sometimes I have had to make difficult decisions. Regardless of what you are going through, you have a decision to make. Because doing the limbo of indecision is going to kill you.
I read “Outwitting the Devil” by Napoleon Hill and really resonated with the story. I have a lot to say about the book, but I’ll stick to the singular point: indecision is death.
Napoleon Hill was fighting. He didn’t know what to do or what his next step would be. On a walk one night, he received information about what he should do next from his other self (or his higher self). He made the decision to follow the guidance of his higher self and it led to amazing things happening in his life!
Getting back to my decision: I was on the fence about leaving my 9 to 5 job. I was dealing with ongoing migraines since November 2016 and had been on short term disability. During that time our babysitter quit and my autistic son started acting worse than ever. I knew the doctor wouldn’t sign any more paperwork unless I agreed to Botox, which I intuitively knew was not a healthy option for me.
So I talked to coaches and mentors, who encouraged me to make a decision either way and stick with it. I even had a conversation with an amazing person who said, “Logic and responsibility can fool us sometimes.” He told me not to back down. So I made the decision to quit.
Over the next two weeks, I began to wonder if I was making the right decision (you know, the ego tries to keep you safe with the known rather than the great possibility of the unknown). So I did what anyone who had made a decision and didn’t want to dwell on it would do: I pushed to send my resignation letter.
I felt immediate relief. The stomach ache that had plagued me for weeks was gone. I was able to go back to sleep through the night. I even stopped grinding my teeth.
It didn’t matter if I had enough money in the bank, if everything lined up, I had to make a decision and commit to it. Because when you commit, the Universe shows up to support you. Or rather, “Jump and the net will appear.”
Don’t get stuck in the “Let me think about it some more” cycle. You will never stop thinking! Make a decision, get out of that discomfort! Then you can take a step back and ask, “Is this decision serving me?” By asking that question, you have not let the opportunity pass you by. You can always change your mind later, if things no longer work for you.
Here’s another tip I learned: Define failure for yourself.
What is failure to you? Now don’t give up on that thing you said yes to until you really “failed”. And I guarantee that you will not fail. But until you’ve reached the point of failure, you don’t know if you don’t try AND you’ll regret 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Make a decision. Try something new. Give yourself a chance to succeed.