What do you do when you don’t know what to do? A few weeks ago I wrote about the struggle I’d been having with some big decisions.
As I mulled it over, it occurred to me that my problem wasn’t just about making the decision. It was about trusting it once the decision was made. There’s a mental burden that comes with feeling unsettled. There was a nagging voice that kept pestering me. I kept hearing, “Are you sure?”
The questioning voice was beating me down.
I made a date with my notebook to write and pray about it. I ended up writing out some questions I needed to answer to move forward with this.
I Had To Do My Homework
The questions asked and answered helped lay a solid foundation.
*What decision is stressful right now?
*What are my options?
*What would make this an easy “yes” or “no”?
*Is this worry or the Holy Spirit holding me back?
I filled the pages with fears, questions, what I wanted and what I didn’t want. In the end, I knew the next step.
Trusting The Decision
After weeks of feeling a low-level anxiety about locking in a decision, I felt relief. There had been a part of me that wanted to hold my options out in front of me and pretend I didn’t have to choose.
But not choosing costs something.
It cost my peace of mind. It cost my ability to admit that I had some control over what seemed uncontrollable.
I know now, that part of my anxiety was due to the fact that I hadn’t completely thought this through. My anxiety was also keeping me FROM thinking this through. It almost seems too simple to solve this with something as low-tech as “thinking this through”.
Is it possible that the thing keeping you from moving forward is that you haven’t stopped to think?
I needed to ask myself some questions and take the time to answer them.
So, I did.
It made all the difference.
I need to put a quick note here mentioning Emily P. Freeman’s podcast, The Next Right Thing. It’s a great resource for decision-making and I’ve learned so much from her.
Can I Help You?
Is something weighing you down? Are you afraid you made the wrong choice? Are you paralyzed when it comes to making a decision? I made a printable of a 9-question worksheet that can help you work through this decision. I’m sending it out to my email list. Simply sign up here and you’ll be re-directed to the printable worksheet.