Usually, when I feel stressed out about making a decision it's because I feel pressure to decide quickly.
And yet, that pressure is largely arbitrary.
When I went shopping for a new sunhat a few years ago, I did something radical. With my child in tow, I took my time picking out just the right hat for me.
Usually I stress over these types of shopping trips. I struggle to decide. I worry I'm going to buy something I don't like and it'll be a waste of money.
My critical eye isn't easy to satisfy, which leads to me feeling overly persnickety. So I chided myself, "it's just a hat, Ariana, why are you making such a big deal about it. Just grab one and buy it."
In the past, I would have rushed to make a decision. Any decision seemed better than being too picky.
But I decided to take my time. I enlisted my kids help in the hunt for the perfect hat. I slowed down, and had fun. We tried on so many hats we started making silly faces and laughing so loud people around us looked over. Finally, I found the one, and I've been enjoying this sunhat ever since.
Making decisions about investing in your business, changing your career, or moving, is obviously a bigger deal than buying a hat.
And yet, in our society, so many of us live with this narrative that we have to decide immediately and have gotten, whatever it is, done yesterday.
Acting fast is often over-glorified whereas deliberation is belittled - after all, chastising myself for being too persnickety is a narrative I heard externally first.
A part of me wishes things happened more quickly. It would be so gratifying to have an idea turned reality within 24 hours. But that's not how life works. And despite Amazon Prime's promise of free overnight delivery, most things take time.
So if you're feelings pressure to decide things quickly, remember, it's ok to take your time. In the majority of instances, time pressure is arbitrary. And you might find that lowering your expectations creates space for more fun in the process and a better outcome in the long-run.
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