A part of my job that I really enjoy is helping people make decisions. On the surface it would seem that making decisions would be an easy thing. All you have to do is think, but in reality that can be the hardest part especially if there are emotions involved – positive or negative emotions. Making decisions becomes a swirl of thoughts in your head with no real outcome.
So how to overcome that when it’s crunch time and you need to either pack up all your stuff, or unpack and get it to fit into your new place? How can you get past the mental blocks to making decisions on what to get rid of when moving? Here are 5 tips to help.
- Approach the task with a focused mind.
- A lot more can get done when you approach the task ready to make decisions. That means cutting down on outside distractions and embracing the task at hand. This IS what you are doing right now, ACCEPT IT and focus on it 100%.
- Set a time goal and stick to it.
- Whether you have 30 minutes or 2 hours; commit to that time. Try setting a timer to go off every 15 minutes so if you get off task the alarm will redirect you. Don’t wimp out and go do something else. It will get done if you just stick with it.
3. NOW you will make the RIGHT decisions
- Flip-flopping back and forth stifles decision-making, slows you down and erodes your confidence. You need to decide what to get rid of, KNOW that you will make the right decisions – period.
- Enlist family help.
- Don’t feel like you are the only one qualified for the job. Enlist your family to help by going through their own stuff first, then if necessary together you can take a second pass. Share these tips to help them get into the right mindset.
- Ask yourself these reflective questions to get yourself started, then your own questions will start popping up to help you further along.
- How long has it been since I’ve used it? Do I need it?
- Do I have something like it that I would use before using this?
- Do I even like it? Does it work? Will I do what it takes to fix it? Is it worth my time?
- Am I keeping it out of guilt? (If the answer is yes, let it go. Life is too short for guilt!)
- Is there a family member or a friend I can give it to? Can it be donated?
- Do I have room for it in the new place?
Mindset is everything. When you can get into the right mindset it’s amazing the things we can do and accomplish. If you struggle with decision making, here’s one last tip. PRETEND. Pretend you are a very confident and decisive person. Imagine what that looks and feels like, and just act like that. It might sound silly, you might feel silly, but who cares as long as it works!
