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“Mom, can I go?”
My daughter just got home from school and told me the Sweetheart dance is tomorrow. Shoot… I totally missed that email.
It was the first dance at her school since 2019 and she still had the picture of her and her dad on her dresser. This was one of those key memory-making opportunities.
After a quick text to my husband confirming he could take her, the biggest problem was she didn’t have a dress. A dress that made her feel special with her special dad date.
This called for… a Power Shopping trip!
Now… my daughter is a browser when she shops. She likes to consider and take her time before deciding, wanting to make the absolute best choice.
So I explained the rules to Power Shopping:
– We only have 1 hour, this includes transit time
– Only 1 store
– Grab as many dresses as possible
– Try them all on
– Pick the best one!
And I’m happy to report… we were successful!
"Don't wait on perfect conditions for success to happen; just go ahead and do something."
Like power shopping… I’ve learned to use power decisions more often.
While some decisions actually do require more time and thoroughness, I’ve found that most… just don’t.
In fact… power decisions allow you to make more decisions in the same period of time. And making more decisions makes more progress. It literally moves things forward, faster.
But one thing can hold you back…
Thinking too much.
Here are 4 things to help keep your decisions flowing:
1/ Embrace imperfect information
With the abundant amounts of data in this information economy, you expect to have it all. But you don’t need it all to make good decisions. The last bit of info you’re looking for can cost your speed of progress dearly, without actually helping all that much.
2/ Activate creativity
Data is just data until you make the creative connections to make meaning from it. More data often doesn’t solve the problem of making the information relevant to you and your problem. Switch from analytical thinking to creative thinking… and watch how the dots start to connect!
3/ Trust yourself
Stop looking for the answer to be given to you from people and sources “smarter than you”. Use all available information as guidance, but only you know your problem & situation intimately enough to apply it best. Trust in your own judgment.
4/ Rename failure
The fear that your decision is the wrong one can stop us from making one at all. If you rename failure to learning, strengthening understanding, or a step forward… then your only two outcomes of any decision will be 1) it works or 2) a step forward.
You have everything you need to make that power decision.
What’s stopping you now?
“Don’t wait on perfect conditions for success to happen; just go ahead and do something.”
– Dan Miller
American former mixed martial artist
