call which led ultimately to his promotion. By being firm with himself, Marcus kept his nerve and didn’t panic. He took a risk and spoke up, which paid off.
“I don’t know where to begin.” Cut up the task into smaller, more manageable units.
“I don’t feel like working.” Set yourself simple tasks to complete. Imagine it’s a task you enjoy. Be firm with yourself, but then give yourself a reward when you have completed the task.
“It’s boring.” Set yourself a time limit to complete part of the task in, say, ten minutes.
“I work better just before a deadline.” Okay, that may be the case, but you can still plan your time better.
“I’m afraid I’ll fail.” Remember that the person who never made mistakes never made anything. Don’t panic; think what is the worst that could happen? Learn from your past mistakes. Be courageous. If necessary, learn new skills.
“I’ve always done it this way.” Take a risk. Do something differently. Think outside the box. Change your perspective. Innovation is an opportunity to grasp, not a threat. Grasp the opportunity.
Do what you know is right, regardless of your feelings of apathy.
2.5 Sharpen up your decision-making
We all make decisions constantly in life – which clothes to wear each day, what food we eat and so on – but it can be difficult making decisions about things that have greater significance.
Here are some guidelines on coming to a decision. It can be helpful to write down all the choices you face. If there are a large number, reduce the choices to the most important. Ask yourself the following questions (I find it helpful to write down the answers):
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
You may need to put greater significance on some advantages and disadvantages to discern the way forward.
case study I was due to go on an intensive course in London for a month. I had to make a decision about where to stay during the course: at home, incurring four hours of travel each day; with my brother in central London; or with my uncle in the suburbs? I listed the various options, weighing up financial cost, travelling time, and access to computer facilities. Through analysis, I realized that the most important factor wasn’t cost or travelling time, but how effectively I could continue working. This informed my decision to stay with my brother, using my laptop and his printer and modem.
What are the effects of choosing each option? For example, choosing a new job that would mean working a long way from home for weeks on end would have a significant effect on your family life.
What would happen if you made no decision at all? How would that relate to your fulfilling your long-term goals?
What is the time scale for making a decision? For example, do you have a meeting coming up at which you need to report your decision? If so, allow time to write your report. If you have no particular time frame, then give yourself one to spur yourself on.
Who can I seek advice from on this matter? Ideally, you’ll seek advice from someone with greater experience than yourself, but any good friend can work as a ‘sounding board’.
Think ‘outside the box’. Be creative and imaginative in thinking up further possible solutions. It might be helpful to take a break from the fine detail of trying to come to a decision in order to help you focus on the bigger picture at this point.
Don’t ignore your instincts. What is your instinctive response to the different choices that you face?
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