Decisions, decisions, decisions. Every day we make hundreds of them. We make so many decisions so frequently that for the most part we’re not even aware of the decision-making process. It’s intuitive, quick and pain-free.
But as we move through life, inevitably some decisions arise that feel neither quick nor easy. They dig in and take root in our brains and our hearts and force us into a state of turmoil.
We can never know if the decision we are about to make is the right decision until after we make it. But there are some things we can do beforehand to help ourselves make the most authentic decision that we can.
The framework I use the most with my clients and find the most useful is the ‘head-heart-gut’. To activate this process do the folllowing:
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Tap into your ‘head’ which is your rational center. You can think through pros and cons, logistics and the various tangible consequences of the decision you have to make.
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Tap into your ‘heart’ which is your emotion center. Take some time to recognize what you actually feel about the options you have to choose from, reflect on the emotions that come up for you when you imagine the different pathways you can take.
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Tap into your ‘gut’ which is your intuitive center. Your intuition is a higher sense, a higher wisdom. Connect with what this ‘sixth sense’ is trying to tell you but don’t try and make sense of it, just take it for what it is.
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Bring your different centers together and see where they can align. We are usually ‘heavy’ in one of the three areas – you may be ‘head-heavy’ and overly rationalize everything, or ‘heart-heavy’ and have strong emotional reactions to situations, or ‘gut-heavy’ and will intuitively respond to something without taking a step back and reflecting on other options. Notice where you may be out of balance and see what you can do to help yourself make decisions evenly from your head, heart and gut. Listening to all three centers equally can help you make the best decision.
Amelia Kruse is a Certified Leadership Coach based in New York working with professionals and entrepreneurs globally.