indecision Archives - Lisa McDonald

Yes this is a real photo of a real firewalk – with Oprah Winfrey firewalking, and Tony Robbins coaching alongside. It is a great example of the power of the mind, supporting what you focus on and believe.

I wasn’t with Oprah when this photo was taken. But I did do Tony’s firewalk myself in 2001.

The Firewalk Is A Powerful Metaphor

It’s a powerful metaphor for what can be achieved when you apply yourself. That’s the reason why they do the firewalk on the 1st night of a three day seminar. Of course they coached people through the strategies beforehand.

Was it a bit scary? Absolutely, you’re going to walk on coals that are between 1,200 and 2,000 degrees. And they tell you all about that and the risks. Its even more scary when your buddy (someone you partner up with to do the walk) had scorched her feet the previous year doing it. Leading up to it I seemed more fearful than my buddy. She, on the otherhand, seemed quite calm about it.

Taking The Firewalk

I moved through my fear and did the firewalk first time.

When it was my buddy’s turn, her fear was definitely evident. She psyched herself up and started to move forward, but then stopped before the burning coals. She false started at least twice. Each time I encouraged and coached her through the fear, and what she needed to do. Eventually, she did it. I was so proud of her completing it, given what she had to overcome in her mind to do it!

We had focused, applied what we had learned and then acted in spite of our fear. Our reward – the success of not allowing our fears to hold us back.

Symptoms of Fear

Indecision, confusion and inaction are all symptoms of fear. They distract our focus, waste our energy, and erode our self-esteem if we let them hold us back.

Think about an important decision you have to make or goal you want to achieve. What is it that you most fear? What’s holding you back from making a decision or moving forward?

Just like Tony coached us to do the firewalk, I’d love to help coach you to build the confidence to push through your own fears – so you can make decisions, take action and achieve the goals that are important to you. If you’re ready to do that, please click here: to book a chat with me.

I’m sure that you too have experienced times of indecision. Times where you’ve struggled to make a decision, whether that’s small things or big things. You may even be experiencing that somewhere in your life now. For example, should I look for another job or should I stay put? Should I have a baby or not? Should I spend my money on buying a property or not?

You’re not alone. Even great leaders, who are generally not rash or foolhardy, can experience indecision. On most days they know their mind and have the confidence to act on it. However even they experience times where they waver between two or more possible courses of action. When this happens, they too can freeze and start asking others what they should do.

What The Best Leaders and Achievers Do

The best leaders and achievers have an ability to get to the fundamental cause of their mental roadblock, and breakthrough it. That’s what you need to do too to achieve your important goals and dreams.

Your indecision may be a sign that the choice really matters to you. It might also be a warning that you’re about to make the wrong decision. Either way it gives you valuable time to gather more information, weigh up the facts and think about the situation.

However If you indecisive for too long, you may miss an opportunity. It can also cause you to loose confidence in yourself further, compounding the problem further.

5 Causes of Indecision

There are a variety of causes for why people become indecisive. Here are five of them:

Out of practice — where you haven’t been making many bigger decisions in your life.
Too many options can flood a person – overwhelm of your possible choices
Fear of making the wrong decision – concern that you will make a mistake or fail
Cognitive dissonance– conflict between their desires and those of the hand that fed/feeds them can lessen and cut them off from their desire
Lacking confidence – Self doubt in your ability causing second guessing

6 Ways To Overcome Indecision:

Whether your indecision is around a particular goal or has become a general habit, know that you can reduce your indecision with practice. Take a few minutes to read the list below for ways you can improve your decision making.

Look at the big picture. Consider the importance of the decision in the longer term. As you enter old age what would you regret most? To read about the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, read my blog article:
Identify the fear of consequences. Ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen. Then, contemplate how you would address it if it happened. By figuring out concrete ways to deal with it if it came true, you can remove a lot of its power and control over your decision-making
Accept the limits of analysis. Don’t paralyse yourself with analysis. There comes a time when no matter how much logical thinking you do, or information you have, the decision isn’t going to get any easier. Give yourself a time limit on your research, list-making and pondering.
Tune into your emotions. Trust your gut. Ask yourself: “Which option feels more ‘right’ for you?”
Break the decision down into smaller pieces. Sometimes big decisions can become overwhelming. If that’s the case, practice making decisions on smaller pieces that are part of the bigger process
Eliminate should’s. Nothing leads to indecision faster than letting your actions be guided by the desire to impress or satisfy – what you think you should do for others. Inevitably that part of you wants something different will cause you to rebel. When you stop worrying about what everyone else will think, the best decision often becomes crystal clear.

Breaking The Hold Of Indecision

Combine the above actions with your own range of strengths as you work on breaking the hold of indecision. Using these will support your decision-making process, helping you make the choices that are right for you. And, assisting you to take the actions required to achieve your important goals.

If indecision has been holding you back in achieving one or more important goals, then it’s time to commit to tackling it. Please be kind to yourself in the process.

To support you in progressing and achieving your most important goals, take action today by implementing today’s tips.

Do you have a favourite tip for overcoming indecision? If so, please share it below.

Warm regards

Lisa