I have “Remove the significance” (courtesy of Bay Rachelle LeBlanc Quiney, MBA, PCC) on a post-it on my computer screen.
I don’t know about you, but, if I'm not careful, I could overthink almost any decision.
Take walking the dog at lunch for example. How can that possibly be significant? Well it’s significant to the dog. Even if he won’t die if he misses one, he’s generally a good dog & deserves one. And clearly, I’m a terrible dog mom if I don’t.
The decision was significant when I was working for a company, b/c I might piss off my boss or let my team down if I wasn’t available when they needed me. This one phone call or message I’d miss while walking the dog, would obviously end the company, my career, or my team’s belief in me.
The decision is significant now, as a business owner, b/c if I don’t finish that proposal, video, article, instead of walking him, obviously my business will be a huge failure & I will never get any clients.
I learned a “trick” in my coaches training program (from Accomplishment Coaching). It has a few steps, but what’s relevant here, is where, after you’ve listed out things like “I’ll screw up that call,” you ask “Compared to who[or what]?” It refocuses us to the beliefs we have & how they aren’t facts, but stories we tell ourselves.
Back to the dog. If walking him makes me a bad business owner, compared to who? If choosing the dog over work will be bad for my business, compared to what? Isn’t never finishing the work worse for my business? Isn’t staying in bed all day, worse for my business? Walking the dog is a significant decision, compared to what decision? I guess, compared the decision to sip tea or not.
Screwing up a call with a potential client or referral contact seems significant. It is significant compared to mistyping an email. But not as significant as hitting someone with my car. It’s not as significant as a house fire. It’s not as significant as screwing up 10 calls with potential clients or referral contacts.
What can we do? Remove the significance. Realize that unless a decision is literally life or death, you’ll get another chance. You can make up the 30 min with your team/boss; call back your family & apologize; call back that referral contact & clean it up.
Remember: Intentional movement over standing still.
Curious about your decisions? Grab time with me:
(BTW-there's a fun/silly video about this on instagram. If you're curious, follow me https://www.instagram.com/becheydon/ )