“It’s amazing that when I decided to ‘push the button’ all these other things started falling into place too.”
A while ago I was catching up with a friend of mine who said just this. A career opportunity had come up unexpectedly and he had to make a really quick decision if he was in our out. Given he’s normally a detailed planner and quite analytical, this was of course very uncomfortable for him.
But he did accept the new opportunity within the 24 hour deadline. So I asked him what made him lean in and say ‘yes’. His answer was simple: “I knew deep down that I had to”. His gut feeling or instinct had been so strong that his old job was not what he was meant to do anymore (even though he would have been more than happy to have a few more days to weigh up the pros and cons!). So he decided to go for the new opportunity and what felt like the right thing to do for him at this particular time.
You might remember that in my last post we talked about HOW to make decisions. Today I want to explore WHY we should make them.
Because the magic actually happened just after my friend made the first big decision. His partner (who was of course consulted before the decision was made) found a new (much better) job in the same area as his new office. Their landlord was selling the house they were renting (the hassle of a move is not always welcome), but then a family friend suddenly had a place to sublet right where they wanted to live.
You see, I have seen different versions of this scenario enough times, that I believe there is something a bit magical about making a firm decision and backing yourself. Once you get out of the ‘analysis & paralysis’ limbo and make a decision, the next flow can start.
I’ve had different versions of this happen many times in my life, and now I’m curious of course. Have you ever had something like this happen for you?