decision making

Tag Archive for decision making

Trust and Confidence: A Powerful Combination

January 3, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

If you’re having a hard time trusting yourself, it may be a sign that you lack confidence. Trust in this case is near impossible without confidence.

Lacking Confidence
Feel secure in your abilities and be strong in your convictions. But, know when you’re wrong, too.

This may seem scary to you.

But it’s not as difficult as you think. No one is born with confidence. It’s something people learn and develop during their lives.

It’s the same for you. Take steps to develop your confidence and trusting yourself will become easy.

Fear Sabotages Confidence
When you give in to your fears, you’ll diminish the chances of building up your confidence. This can get out of hand if you don’t deal with it right away.

You need to face your fears head-on. That doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and be reckless.

You can take chances but only if they won’t put your life or others’ lives in danger. You wouldn’t jump out of a plane without a parachute.

Don’t make frivolous decisions, either. Confidence is about knowing the difference.

Start out with small tasks that you have been afraid to try in the past. Most outcomes will turn out better than you imagine.

If you try to project what will happen, and it is always a negative outcome, you will never make any decisions. Take on those small tasks without thinking too much about what’s going to happen.

That will build up your confidence as you’ve never seen before.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
You should ask questions when you aren’t sure about the situations you face. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s about knowing where to find them and who to rely on with the knowledge that you need. It’s also about pulling the trigger when you’ve gathered enough information.

Confidence is about taking responsibility for your decisions and your actions. If you believe in what you’re doing, you can convey that belief to the people affected by your decisions.

If you start blaming others when your situation doesn’t go as planned you’ll come across as weak.

Once this happens, others will lose faith in you. Your confidence will erode, and self-doubt will take over.

When you make your decisions, you own them, even if they don’t work out.
Increase your confidence and you’ll increase self-trust.

Then, you can soar higher than you ever imagined.

JohnK 1-3-2019

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Boost Your Confidence by Making Better Decisions

April 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

You’re starting another week. Another week of decisions you’ll need to make. But somehow those decisions don’t get made.

It’s one of the more frustrating situations you (and those around you) can face. You can’t seem to make a decision and stick to it.

There can be many reasons why you lack the confidence to make decisions in your life.

As a child your parents may have made all your decisions for you. And you weren’t supposed to question them..

Or it could be that you don’t like the pressure decision making puts on you. You question whether you’re making the right decision. And you’re fearful about how your decision will affect others.

You may feel very anxious at the thought of having to make a decision.

Here are a few ways to recognize if you’re someone who lacks the confidence to make decisions:

You would rather have someone else make the decision for you –

Passing the decision-making process to another could show a lack of confidence.

You never make a decision –

Other people may be relying on you for a decision, but you let weeks or months slide by without deciding.

When you do make a decision, you second-guess yourself –

This is another demonstration of lack of confidence in your abilities.

Regardless of what led to an inability to trust yourself you can become better if you work at it.

Here are some ideas for improving your confidence and making good decisions.

Make an “unofficial” decision –

This is a decision that’s not yet set in stone. Make a decision, and live with that decision for a day.

For example, you’ve decided to upgrade to a bigger house, and you have the money saved up. You find a house that you really like that fits all the criteria you want in a bigger house.

It has a big yard, a deck, and an attached garage. But, you have trouble making decisions.

You may find that you try to talk yourself out of it. You begin to worry how you’ll afford it, the increased heating and cooling costs, and so forth.

This is where it can help to make an “unofficial” decision. You have to decide that you will or will not move.

Pick one, and live with that decision for a day. Convince yourself that the decision is a real one.

Then see how your decision makes you feel. This can be a good way to test decisions before making them official.

Knowing that you can still change your mind, if it doesn’t feel right, can be comforting.

Recognize decisions that are reversible –

For example, you’re having a tough time choosing a color of house paint. Start by picking some swatches. Then make a decision rather than fretting over the perfect color.

If you start painting and don’t like the color you can just reverse course and choose another color.

Ask yourself: what is the worst that can happen? –

Not all decisions are life altering. If you begin by making small decisions (like choosing which movie to go to) your confidence can grow as time goes on. You’ll be better positioned to make bigger decisions as time passes.

Write down the pros and cons of each decision you are considering –

It might help if you put your ideas on paper. List what you like and don’t like about them.

Seeing rather than only thinking about the options can make it easier to come to a decision.

JohnK 4-2-2018

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Overheard: “To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.”

~Maxwell Maltz

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Breakup Rehab: This Week on CHI FOR YOURSELF

October 9, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

How do you regain confidence and optimism about love following a breakup?

After her own relationship ended, Rebekah Freedom McClaskey developed and practiced a series of small, step-by-step actions that ultimately helped her heal her heart and live in harmony with her destiny.

Hear author and counselor Rebekah Freedom McClaskey on our next CHI FOR YOURSELF. Thursday, October 12th at 1 pm Pacific time, 4 pm on the East Coast at chiforyourself.com

Rebekah Freedom McClaskey is the author of Breakup Rehab: Creating the Love You Want.

JohnK 10-9-2017

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Why It’s Good To Keep A Household Budget

September 25, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

You work hard to earn a living. So it’s best to make wise decisions when you spend that money. That’s where a household budget comes in.

A budget has obvious advantages. Like seeing at a glance what we have coming in, what’s going out (and what that money is paying for). You also get an idea if there’s anything left at the end of the month to put into savings.

Before we dive into exactly what a budget can do for us, let’s consider a few points. What will happen if we’re not tracking income and expenses?

You may end up spending more than you’re making in a given month (or two, or three). Over time that can put you into some pretty hot financial water. You may also spend a lot more than you’d like to believe on things like eating out, going to the movies or new clothes.

Having a budget gives you more control over your true spending wishes. That could be dinner and a movie, or not. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an actual choice?

A Budget Tracks Where Your Money Is Going

A budget’s only job is to track your money. You record where the money comes from each month (your income) and then write out everything you spend it on.

Start with your regular monthly bills. These include your mortgage or rent, utility bills etc.

What’s left is your discretionary income.

A Budget Helps You Spot Wasted Money

Having it all in front of you in black and white helps you identify things you’re wasting your money on.

Budgeting forces you to reconsider if you want to spend well over $200 a month on Cable TV. Or $150 on your large cell phone plan. Or how about that yearly magazine subscription to something you no longer read? Go through your expenses and reevaluate if this is REALLY how you want to spend your paycheck.

A Budget Allows You To Be Proactive About Savings

Saving money without a budget is hard. We go in with the best of intentions at the beginning of the month. But somehow there isn’t anything left at the end of the month.

A budget gives you a chance to be a bit more proactive. Set aside some money for savings at the beginning of the month, even a small amount like $20.

Put it in the budget as a regular expense, much like you do with your other urgent bills. If you need to, open a separate savings account so you’re not tempted to spend it.

A Budget Ensures You’re Not Spending More Than You’re Making

Your budget will keep you on track and help you avoid overspending. And I don’t have to tell you that that’s pretty important for your financial well-being.

JohnK 9-25-2017
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Overheard: ““While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.”
~ Groucho Marx

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Do You Have A Financial Safety Net? (And How To Build One)

September 18, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

Do you have a financial safety net? It’s something worth thinking about and setting up. What will happen to you and your loved ones if you lose your job for a few months?

What if you get into an accident that prevents you from earning a living? Or what if some unexpected expenses come up. Do you have anything in place to make sure the bills continue to get paid?

If not, now is the time to get started. But where do you actually start?

Three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved in an interest-bearing account is a good start. Figure out what your family needs to live on if all income stops. Then start saving as much money as you can until you have built up this safety net.

Trim expenses for eating out, going to the movies, buying the newest TV and Tech gadget and the like. Add these to your savings account until you’ve saved enough to have a comfortable cushion. To make this step go even faster, add any bonuses, tax refunds etc. as well.

But don’t stop there. Make it a goal to add to your safety cushion as you can and come back and revise your numbers from time to time. Your living expenses may go up or down over time. You can adjust the amount you need and set aside savings in an account where you can get at it with no hassle.

Life and disability insurance are another important part of your financial safety net. Do you have a plan in place to continue to cover your living expenses (or those of your family) when you can no longer work? Call your insurance agent and go over your current coverage. Make sure the insurance you’re paying for will pay out what you need and if not, make adjustments.

Next, consider investing any further savings into higher interest-bearing accounts. You may not be able to access money invested here right away. But the funds will come in handy when you’re dealing with a long-term financial emergency or are ready to retire. Plenty of investment vehicles have a higher yield than your bank savings account.

Talk to your financial adviser, Work out a plan that’s right for you, your family, and whatever the future may hold.

JohnK 9-18-2017

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Image for overheard for financial wisdom

Overheard: “All money is a matter of belief.”

~Adam Smith

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How To Plan For Unexpected Expenses

September 14, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

It always seems to happen at the wrong time. The car’s transmission blows just as your daughter gets her braces. Or your washing machine decides to call it quits.

These unexpected expenses will pop up throughout life. You want to prepare as well as possible for those times when life throws you a financial curve ball.

Do your best to plan ahead for upcoming expenses. If you’re driving an older car, or your dishwasher has seen its better days, start saving up to replace the item. You may also want to start keeping an eye out for good deals on the replacement.

An even better strategy is to have an emergency savings fund. Set up a savings account and add to it monthly. Use it only for completely unexpected expenses.

Make sure you know what’s in the account. And once you have to take money out of it replace it as soon as possible.

This brings us to an important point. How to make a quick recovery after taking a hit to your wallet.

Go over your budget (you have one of those, right?) and see if you can cut back on some things for the time being.

Stop ordering pizza every Friday night and make your own at home. Skip a night out on the town and watch a couple of movies on Netflix instead of going to the theater.

Use the money you’re not spending over the next few months to refill your emergency fund. For an extra boost, you might work a few hours of overtime. Or do a few freelance projects. You might pick up a short-term part time job to get back on track fast.

But what do you do when the expense comes up before you had a chance to set up the emergency fund? Take a deep breath and assess the situation.

Can you make do without the item for a little while? At least long enough to scrape together the funds to repair or replace it?

If it’s the dishwasher, that’s easy. You can wash dishes by hand for a little while.

If it’s the fridge or the car you rely on to get you to work each day, that’s a different story.

If it’s your car decide if it would be better to repair than replace. Even if it isn’t the perfect solution, it may get you to work while you save up for the car you want.

Shuffle your money around and if there is no other option charge it to the credit card and get to work. Your one and only goal right now is to pay off that expense.

Sock away every available penny. Once you pay off your credit cards do what you can to get that emergency fund set up.

And be ready for any surprises down the road.

JohnK 9-12-2017

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Chakra Wisdom with Tori Hartman: Today’s CHI FOR YOURSELF

September 7, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

Quick reminder- Our guest on today’s CHI FOR YOURSELF is Tori Hartman, author of CHAKRA WISDOM ORACLE: How to Read the Cards for Yourself and Others.

We’ll begin at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern time at chiforyourself.com

“See” you then.

JohnK 9-7-2017

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Chakras And Transformation- It’s in The Cards: Next CHI FOR YOURSELF

September 4, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

Our next scheduled CHI FOR YOURSELF guest will tell us about using intuitive power to bring profound growth into our lives. Tori Hartman is the author of Chakra Wisdom Oracle: How to Read the Cards for Yourself and Others. Her system of cards and workbook is designed to help you break through blockages and achieve your dreams.

Join us for CHI FOR YOURSELF and Tori Hartman. Thursday, September 7th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com.

JohnK 9-4-2017

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Make Decisions With Better Self-Confidence

August 28, 2017 John Uncategorized No comments

Few things are as frustrating to you and those around you as your inability to make decisions and stick to them. This inability can be the result of a lack of self-confidence.

There can be many reasons why you lack the confidence to make decisions in your life. For example, you may have grown up in an environment where your parents made all the decisions for you. And they insisted you must not question them.

You may feel very anxious at the thought of having to make a decision.

Here are a few indicators that you are someone who lacks confidence in making decisions:

You would rather have someone else make the decision for you –

This happens when you don’t trust that you’ll make the right decision. It’s an indicator that you don’t have confidence in your ability.

You never make a decision –

Other people may be relying on you for a decision, but you let weeks or months pass without ever making a decision.

Your decision avoidance can be a signal that confidence in your abilities is poor.

When you do make a decision, you second-guess yourself –

Another demonstration that you lack confidence in your abilities.

You can work at and improve on this tendency not to trust yourself when you make decisions.

What follows are ideas for improving your confidence to make good decisions.

Make an “unofficial” decision –

In other words, this is a decision that is not yet set in stone. Make a decision, and live with that decision for a day.

For example, you’ve decided to upgrade to a bigger house, and you have the money saved. You find a house that you like a lot and that fits all the criteria you want in a bigger house. It has a big yard, a deck, and an attached garage.

But if you have trouble making decisions you may find yourself trying to talk yourself out of it. You begin to worry about how you’ll afford it, higher heating and cooling costs, and so forth.

This is where it can help to make an “unofficial’ decision. You have to decide that you will or will not move. Pick one, and live with that decision for a day. Make your mind believe that the decision is a real one that you have made. Then see how your decision makes you feel.

This can be a good way to test out decisions before making them official. Knowing that you can still change your mind if it does not feel right, can be comforting.

Recognize decisions that are reversible –

For example, you’re having a tough time determining what color to paint your house. Start by getting a collection of color swatches. Then make a decision, rather than continuing to fret over choosing the perfect color.

If you start painting and don’t like the color, you can always choose another color.

Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen –

Not all decisions are life altering. Begin with making small decisions such as what movie to see. You can grow your confidence and make bigger decisions as time goes on.

Write down pros and cons of each decision you are considering –

Sometimes it helps to see your ideas for and against a decision written down on paper. When you see the options on paper they crystallize. This it can make it easier to come to a decision.

JohnK 8-28-2017

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