Are you one of the many South Africans who face tough decisions about your future?

Like everyone we face decisions such as which job to take or whether to stay in a relationship.  But as South Africans we also face other decisions like do I go home or how do I make a living if I 
go home.

Why is it important to make a decision?

Making a decision gives you direction.  By not deciding you become paralysed.  You may feel like you don’t know in which direction to turn or what action to take.  I often hear clients say to me that they procrastinate or feel stuck.  This is often a symptom of not deciding.  And it doesn’t even have to be a big decision that can have this effect.

Once you make a decision and therefore know where you are going it is much easier to take action.  This starts things moving again and you will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

So how do you decide?

This may sound like a strange question, but it surprises me how many people struggle to make a decision.  Usually this is because of a fear that they will make the wrong decision or that the decision is set in stone.  If you find out along the way that the decision is no longer the right one for you, then change it.

The world around us is always changing whether you like it or not.  And people that are flexible always come out on top, as they are able to change as things around them change.

Here are two techniques, which my clients have found useful …

•    Write out a list of pros and cons.  This can help you to see a situation more clearly.



•    Another way which is very powerful is to use intuition or your gut feeling.  Think back to a time in your life when you made a good decision – was it a conscious thing or did you just know what was right?

There is no need to justify your decision either.  If you are comfortable and secure in what you have decided, then you won’t feel the need to justify it to anyone.  And this can be a very freeing feeling.

Remember, by not deciding you are deciding.