#EverydayQuestions #AnywhereWorker #PokingBrains
Every day we’re faced with decisions large and small. When you hesitate to decide, it’s time to stir things up.
Some decisions we make quickly: should I hit the snooze? Have that second coffee? Respond to her email?
Others take greater focus and energy: do we extend our work-from-home arrangement? Is it time to change my business direction? Is this the right time to launch the new offering?
The moment of decision is an opportunity to choose the right action at the right time for the right reason.
And sometimes, we hesitate. Why?
Fear.
The bigger the risk, the more difficult the decision, the more likely we hesitate.
What if there was a reason for your hesitation? What if it’s an opportunity?
The opportunity in hesitation.
If you’re struggling to decide, there may be something missing. But what is missing? And where do we find it?
The answer may be closer than you think. It’s time to poke your brain.
Enter this week’s powerful question: What do you still need to know about the situation?
We can’t know everything or have all the answers, but if there’s hesitation, there may be an important piece missing.
What do you still need to know about the situation to make a decision? What is it that, if you were clear about, would allow you to decide this instant?
The first thing that comes to mind may not be the only thing, but it will help you get closer. It’s a step out of hesitation and into action. And with action comes clarity.
The Very Next Step
Let’s say you’re faced with deciding whether or not to extend your organization’s stay-at-home arrangements. What do you need to know in order to make the decision?
I asked Celeste, the founder of a small marketing firm, this very question. Her reply? “I need to know how many of my people feel comfortable coming back to the office. And my clients, I need to know if they would come to the office too.”
She found her next step – getting input from those two stakeholder groups.
It may seem obvious now, but before we had the conversation, Celeste thought she needed to make this decision alone.
With all powerful questions, there is no right or wrong way to answer. The challenge is to ask yourself what you still need to know about the situation in order to take action.
Every conversation has a treasure.
And don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these questions. You’d be surprised how well they work to help keep things moving forward.
In every conversation lies the opportunity to uncover a treasure. Right there…in your brain. Sometimes you just need someone from the outside to help you poke around and find it.
It’s one secret to getting your ideas out of your head and into the world. And it can be done – anywhere.
Want more? Check out the book Everyday Questions for Success: Each question is like attending a 6 minute success bootcamp for your brain.
