Navigatng Decisions: A Quick Guide for Solopreneurs
“Unlocking Clarity and Confidence in Your Choices”
Solopreneurs must make decisions daily. Knowing how to make decisions can cut down on the complications that may arise when tough decisions are up to you. Simply because we have to admit our vulnerability to failure, making particular important decisions are usually undesirable for most. The fear of getting it wrong and perhaps ending up hurt, embarrassed or just feeling like you got the short end of the stick is enough to cause paralysis analysis. Many times, our decisions not only affect us, but they affect those around us and taking responsibility can sometimes be a daunting task. While one can make decisions, you cannot choose the consequences of the decisions you make.
As a solopreneur your decisions affect your brand. As a leader your decisions affect your team. If you are an employer your decisions affect your staff.
If you are a mom your decisions affect your children.
If you are a wife your decisions affect your family.
Yes, the responsibilities associated with decision making are real. God never intended for you and me to go it alone. He gave us the Holy Spirit who leads, guides and directs us into all truths. Whether you’re deciding on what vendor to use or what new insurance policy to select, the ability to exercise your free will; to make choices is a gift from God. We are not robots, walking around following orders from a dictator who sits on a throne. On the contrary, the relationship we have with God is a father-daughter bond that transcends the possibilities any natural relationship could have. We are called on daily to make decisions and if we do it right, the benefits far outweigh the possibilities of failure. Realizing that God has your back, you can move forward with confidence and boldness.
Practice making sound godly decisions faster and with greater confidence.
Here are five simple ways to start improving your decision-making ability:
- Limit your options.
Narrow your choices by eliminating all bad choices and keeping only good choices. Now that you have less choices you can hone in on the benefits and possible setbacks of each remaining choice. Remove from the equation those choices that you know are non-starters. One thing I do when I’m grappling with an important decision is sit still before the Lord and pray very specifically over the choices that are before me. Then allow the Holy Spirit to make the matter plain. He has never failed to give me definite direction about a choice when I open myself to yield to His leading. Putting aside my own ideas, my own limited knowledge, and understanding, I trust God to show me His will.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6
- Seek God ALWAYS.
It’s important not to try to operate in your own ability and strength. No matter how big or small a decision is, God cares about every aspect of your life and brand. Ask Him to help you and show you His will in any given situation. Sometimes He may use a trusted friend and perhaps even a stranger. Remain open to hear from God in any way He chooses to reveal the answers He has for you.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you…”
Matthew 7:7
- Remember the defeat of doublemindedness.
God’s Word admonishes us to be decisive. We can’t be for God one minute and then for the world the next and expect to receive the many blessings God has for us.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8
- Count the cost
When making a decision be sure to bring clarity to your situation by taking time to take a realistic look at what the costs are. Will there be any possible losses or gains and what are the possible affects of those losses or gains.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— Luke 14:28 - Decisiveness builds confidence. Decisions change lives. Some decisions change lives for the better and some for the worst. Nevertheless, there comes a time in each of our lives when we simply need to decide. God told Moses, “It’s time to stop praying and move ahead.” Christians sometimes use “I need to pray about it” as a cover for indecisiveness. We can however move ahead, not trusting in our own abilities, but in God’s ability to work in and through us. It’s up to us to trust God to show us the way. We must first take a step… One step and allow Him to direct our path.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:6
Interesting Tip:
We make better decisions in the morning.
Even the time of day affects our brain’s decision-making process. According to a well-know wellness American marketing professor, Baba Shiv, we should make more of our decisions in the morning. This is when serotonin is at it’s natural high, which helps to calm our brain. Shiv says this is a good thing because we feel less risk averse in the morning due to the serotonin in our brains, so we can take risks and make harder choices early in the morning.
Later in the day, serotonin starts to decline, and we fall into a phase where we don’t want to make decisions at all. During the afternoon, Shiv says it’s common to postpone decisions because we favor indecision, or just avoiding making a choice at all.
Dr Amantha Imber, an organizational psychologist, suggest the best time for decisions to be made is before around 11 am, whenever possible:
Where decisions must be made at later times, taking a break without making any choices at all is recommended because ‘decision fatigue’ is difficult to fix without giving the brain a proper rest. If you know you are going to be making an important decision at, say 4 pm, schedule some rest period immediately before that time.
Your decision making need not be worrisome, or stressful; instead, consider them as yielded steps toward God’s purpose. Seek His wisdom, pray earnestly, and walk by faith, confident that even when you can’t see the full path in front of you, our Father directs the way.
