Do you ever get overwhelmed in the bread aisle of the grocery store? 

No, just me? 

Not all bread is created equal:

• There is light bread, dark bread, and swirled bread. 

• You may want your sandwich on a bagel, English muffin, or pretzel roll. 

• Or how about soft white, hearty wheat or crunchy organic granola that will leave bits of nut in your teeth.

Even when you decide what "kind" you might want for what you'll be putting inside, there are many brands, levels of health, or even allergies to consider.  

You finally feel like you have chosen the "perfect" bread for your delicious sandwich, flip it over to look at the nutrition label, and wait, why is there so much sugar in bread?!? [*1]

It is low-key exhausting to make so many decisions to exist.

Let’s sweep the brain…

It can feel this way, making decisions for life and business, too. The internet tells me that humans make an average of 35,000 daily choices. For some reason, it feels like that number should be higher. Do we get extra because we are women AND entrepreneurs?

If you have trouble making decisions, you're not alone. 

Let's begin with the basics. What is the definition of "decision?"

de·ci·sion

/dəˈsiZH(ə)n/

noun

noun: decision; plural noun: decisions

1. a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.

2. the action or process of deciding something or of resolving a question.

3. a formal judgment.

Um, those words feel concrete. Final. Resolute. The end. The way it is. The way it has to be.

Thankful, the majority of our day-to-day decisions are different in reality. As entrepreneurs, we make daily decisions with outcomes, results, and natural consequences. But ultimately, we can naturally ebb and flow with their results. If we try something that doesn't work, we weave, duck, and often are not afraid to leap.

Some entrepreneurs may feel the tremendous pressure of making a decision for their business. It can feel overwhelming and lead to decision fatigue [*2]. 

Making decisions involves many emotions, and it's normal to experience them all.

It's common to experience:

• Fear. "What if I make the "wrong" decision and fail?"

• Worry. "How will others perceive me if I make a mistake?"

• Regret. "That was the "worst" mistake I've ever made!" [*3] 

Analytical and emotional thoughts can coexist.

Perfect is an illusion. Even in the definition of perfect is the line "as good as it is possible to be." 

There are pros and cons to every single decision that we make.

A dilemma arises when the reasonable thing to do conflicts with what your heart desires. 

Although there is no absolute way to make a decision, there are some strategies you can use to get past a feeling of stuckness. 

• Revisit Your Values: Our values lie at the core of making any decision. You can make more meaningful and purposeful choices by keeping who you are and who you want to be in mind. Ask yourself, "Which option moves me toward who I see myself as and what's important to me?"

• Make a decision balance sheet: Similar to a pro-con or best-case / worst-case scenario list. Take it a step further, choose two options you're considering, and write a pro-con list for each.

• Reconnect with your body: Catch yourself starting to overthink a particular decision? Take a break for mindfulness — whether that means a 2 or 30-minute meditation, breathing exercises, or restorative yoga. Take a pause and listen. Get in tune with your gut feelings. Stop. Take a Breath. Observe. Proceed.

• Ask for support: It's OK to ask for input. If you ask repeatedly, check yourself to see if you actually fear disappointing someone. Others' responses may reflect their own desire for safety and security. Instead of asking people what they might do, ask for their perspective. You might find a new way of looking at things you hadn't considered.

• Remember, you are resilient: Life is in motion, and change is inevitable. Either correct the mistake or learn from it.

Making decisions is an energy-intensive process. 

Honor it.

If you struggle to make decisions that support you in making forward progress in your business, let’s connect.

Curious about the bread I chose? See my digressions below!

Supporting entrepreneurs in pursuing profitable ideas

The Chickbook Creative Entrepreneurs Brain Trust is a membership-based community that creates a safe and inclusive space for entrepreneurs to cultivate new relationships, inspire personal and professional growth, and explore possibilities.

This has become a new space for my digressions.

[*1]. For the record, I got so overwhelmed by the bread choices this week I asked my husband to make homemade sandwich bread for our BLTs this week. He grew the tomatoes and made the bacon (literally) so it must made sense for him to bake the bread too! ;)

[*2] Yes, decision fatigue is real; we'll dig into that a little deeper in Manage Your Mind.

[*3 ] Spoiler alert: Rarely does anyone go through life without regrets.

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