There are not a lot of times in life that we are not contemplating a big decision.

Being a Holistic Lifestyle Coach myself I deal with this for myself as well as when working with patients and clients on a regular basis. Because of this I found this article The 12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Big Decision by career, confidence and life coach Susie Moore to help shed some light on what you really need to consider. You should check out the full article, but I want to highlight a few of the questions that she poses.

How long have I been thinking about this?

This is an awesome question to ask yourself or if you are a Holistic Lifestyle Coach to use with your clients as well. When something is still on your mind for a few years then you need to make a decision. To know why this is so important jump to “if not now, when?” However, if you tend to make a life changing decision once a week, then you might need to tone it back a bit and get a little more stable footing.

How committed am I to this change?

If given only one question to ask when making a big decision, then this would be it for me. The author uses the 0-10 scale which is something that is very useful. She feels that a 7/10 will work and while many others do agree, this is where we lose contact. I am more into seeing an 8 or higher. My thought is that if this really is that big of a decision then you should be really committed and I’m inclined to even say I’d rather see a 9 or 10 and if not then you are probably not that committed or the decision is not that big of a deal.

What is the risk of not doing it?

If you can still bounce back from a big decision gone wrong, then go for it. Don’t take undue risks, but if you are sure that you will survive the fall if you miss, then I still say go for it. When you are ready go all in or just let it go. Don’t just keep waiting.

If not now, when?

How much time do you have left in your life? That’s right! None of us has any idea and that is why regrets can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few decades. Each individual or coach can use this question over and over again. It is extremely powerful, so use it carefully and it can really pay dividends with living a full life with great decisions.

The one thing I feel is missing when making a big decision is asking not only how it weighs on you, but also other people in your life. This is about taking the I, We and All into account. This of course will depend on your situation, but must still be valued depending on who else it will effect.

I do love that she uses feeling when making a decision too. Being in touch with how we are feeling and the emotions that come up about a decision can really let us know where we stand outside of always going for intellect. Learning to combine feeling and intellect will make for some stellar decision making for you as an individual or a coach.

Have a Great Day!

Nick Horowski