Ten, Diez, 10, Dez, Deka, Dix....

This picture has nothing to do with this post. But it's cute. 

A few months ago I made the commitment to write every Monday. This has been an interesting and difficult exercise. Interesting because I have learned a lot and difficult because I think up at least 10 excuses to not write every Monday.   I have also been reminded that in order to be successful at something we must continue to do the very thing that we want to improve upon. This may sound elementary to most of you guys. But as I continue to develop as a human being I realize that I continually look to find the easy way out of something.  I remember asking a CrossFit coach about the ways that I could get better at doing pullups… Their response was much kinder than what I needed to hear, which was, “ummm DO pullups.. DUH”.

My writing has helped me reshape my ideas of acquiring and building upon talents. When I first started my writing project I would only send my writing to a few friends to receive feedback and help. But there came a time when it was necessary for me to step out on my own and share my ideas with the world (through this blog). This did not automatically make my ideas better, it simply allowed me to put myself out there and achieve my goal of writing to inspire people and make them laugh. It was time for me to stop overthinking and start sharing.

I believe we tend to over think our steps toward attaining a goal or aspiration and this prevents us from being in action with making decisions about our future. This manifested for me in my goals with my writing. SO, how can we make decisions without overthinking (too much)? I am glad you asked….  

Something that I learned this week from the book I am reading (Decisive) involves the A in the WRAP acronym (see blog posts below for a description).

  Attain Distance Before Deciding.

Chip and Dan Heath outline an interesting tactic for achieving distance from your decision. They suggest shifting time by thinking about how you will feel about your decision 10 minutes from now, and then 10 months from now, and then 10 years from now. So if you are wondering if you should take the risk by asking that person out on a date, think about how you will feel 10 minutes from now, and then 10 months, and then 10 years.  Your nervousness about what that person thinks about you melts away when you think of the impact it has on you ten years from now. When you attain some distance from your decision you will find that you are able to remove your current emotions from the situation.

By using the 10/10/10 method, you are able to see the bigger picture and think about how your future self would see your decision.  Too often I find myself slightly paralyzed by the decisions I have to make. This book has truly helped me find perspective with my choices and I love the processes it outlines. If you need help with a decision, or you need an outsider’s perspective on something that is going on in your life, feel free to contact me! I would LOVE to help you.

Happy Monday, Friends! Thank you for reading my blog. I am so grateful for you.