Solution Decision
The main reason that we don’t move ahead quickly enough for our own taste is that there are decisions involved. Decisions tend to stump us because we tend to think that there is just one answer to every problem. Not everything is math; this one is science. The best answer to a problem is unknown and brainstorming the possibilities is the best way to see what opportunities are possible. The easy way out includes just choosing the first answer that comes up. Rarely is the first one the best one.
Recommended Solution
A gentler way to look at decision making is thinking about answers as recommendations. There is less of a mandate to make one more valuable than another. Start the process by searching for creative strategies. You may have noticed before that when brainstorming with a group, one person provides a crazy idea that leads someone else to another thought that just might work. Make creativity safe and listen for the thoughts that would be opposite your first inclination. Consider the fact that what may be perceived as a weakness one day becomes a strength the next. You. Never. Know.
Scientific Solution
Science time! My favorite, of course, is testing recommendations by being brave enough to think about what would happen when you take a decision and move it through to a possible outcome. Looking at the possibilities shows the paths that might pop up when a variable is involved. This actually gives you a template to give each selection its own chance to show you what it has to offer. It gives you deeper choices. It will surprise you by not being your first choice. Usually these are fairly predictable because they are based on the comfort of our past thought. Relying on your past will not create the most exciting future. And if you feel stuck by the problem already, the usual answer will delay the chance of getting to the right next place.
Solution Shopping
Part of the dilemma of choosing something outside the norm means there may be needs. This is really a good thing. This forces us to create new thoughts about obtaining what is needed. There is always some nervousness when adding a new item to the shopping list. You have to do a little looking to find what is needed. This exposes us to more of the unknown world. The best thing about building a better model is adding new thought and creating new pathways. Detours aren’t always bad because they expose us to places we might not have had the chance to visit before. I recommend looking for new solutions just in case you find what you are really looking for.
Do you find yourself making recommendations to others? Can you pause long enough to explore what else is possible? Are you open to the places you didn’t know you were going?
