Hiya,
Here is what we will cover:
Comparing options can keep you stuck
10 years ago I was the archetypal stuck in a rut guy. I knew I had to change something about my career but I couldn’t decide what. I weighed up this option and that option ad infinitum.
Every so often a new opportunity would come along and I would spend another few months weighing that one up and down and sideways. All the time – I remained stuck in the job I was doing and getting no closer to making a decision.
I was afraid of making the wrong decision AND I was afraid of the effort I might have to put in to actually learn, adapt and immerse myself in something different.
If this is you and you’re wondering how to decide between all the options you might have, read on…
The 5 step decision making process
About a year ago I attended a brilliant 2 day conference in Phoenix hosted by Joe Polish and Dean Jackson (2 online marketing geniuses) and discovered, with the help of one of their exercises, what I actually did 10 years ago that changed my life radically.
When you apply this process be sure to go through only one option at a time compared to your present situation, presuming you have more than one option available ie: Should I stay where I am or start my own business? might be one. Apply the process for that then move to the next opportunity which might be: Should I stay where I am or find another employer? and so on.
Keeping score will give you an indication of which option excites you the most. Be sure to carefully consider #5 though, as the most exciting options are often attached to the most risk.
So here is my ‘5 Step Decision Making Process’ :
1. Ask yourself what your main benefit could be if you make this decision to change your job or career? Score it from 1 – 10 with 1 being not so great and 10 being absolutely incredible.
2. Then ask yourself what could be the main downside of making this decision? Score it.
3. Now reverse the process and ask yourself what your main benefit could be if you don’t make this decision to change your job or career? Score it.
4. Then ask yourself what could be the main downside if you don’t make this decision? Score it.
5. Finally, ask yourself if any adverse consequences of making this decision can be either reversed or mitigated.
This helps you evaluate the risk involved. I made a video a while back for my 90 Day Program students which explains the process in more detail. You can watch it here.
Is what you want worth risking everything you already have?
So #5 above should help you figure out what’s at stake here. By making this decision do you risk everything? And if you do, are you and your family ok with that?
Only by asking these questions can you truly decide if one course of action is better for you at this moment than another. When I changed my career I decided that it was worth risking what I had – I was that desperate to alter my life at the time.
What to do next?
Well, if you have decided to stay put – then do nothing. Maybe this is not the right time for you to make this decision. I think if you’ve read all these related posts then you probably are ready, in which case there is still a significant barrier still in front of you.
My next post might help you understand those better.
If however, you have made a decision to move on to another opportunity this is what I suggest you do next…
You MUST take action. You must do at least ONE thing that moves you towards that goal. It may be listing the people you might need to help you. It may be that you search for accountants in your area and niche. It may be you subscribe to some trade magazines that will help you achieve your goal. Do something!
My next post will also help you figure out the next steps in this process, so stay tuned and remember the words of Tony Robbins: “It’s in our moments of decision that our destiny is shaped.”
Enjoy
Stu
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