Clutter is postponed decisions.
My mentor, Barbara Hemphill, coined this phrase over 40 years ago. The truth came to her as she worked in a client’s clothing closet, watching as the woman spiraled into indecision.
“If I am ever invited to a black tie affair, I would want to wear that dress.”
“If I lose 10 pounds, those pants will fit perfectly.”
“I think my mother gave me that sweater; if she asks whether I like it, I might need to wear it in front of her.”
These responses and thoughts are postponed decisions. And the more decisions this woman avoided making, the more clutter she was creating for herself, both physically (in her closet) and -more importantly- mentally.
Truth be told, a cluttered closet is a small problem to have; likely a small price to pay. But when a person postpones decisions in the less significant areas of her/his life, she/he is also likely postponing decisions in the more significant areas of her/his life too.
Can you relate?
Take a moment to reflect on your week so far, both at home and at work. What decisions have you innocently put off making?
*Those email messages you’ve read, then marked unread to come back and respond to later? Postponed decisions.
*The text messages you have on your phone, asking for input or a call back that have already slipped your mind? Postponed decisions.
*The items on your 2-page to-do list, that have been written and re-written several times over the past few weeks and just don’t seem to rise to the top as a high priority? Postponed decisions.
You may feel the need to defend yourself after reading those examples; after all, you come by it naturally, right? Your father was an indecisive man, and you are already making thousands of decisions every day (researchers estimate the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions daily). I have come to believe that being indecisive or decisive is a choice. And the secret discovered by those who have mastered the skill is this: most decisions aren’t inherently right or wrong. In most instances, we make a decision and THEN we take action in order to make the decision work in our favor! Decisions are just one left or right turn on the 5,000 mile journey. And there are always multiple routes to reach the final destination.
One-way & Two-way Doors
Jeff Bezos describes his view of decision-types as the difference between “one-way” door and “two-way” door decisions. You can only go through a one-way door in one direction; you cannot undo your decision and come back. If you decide to sell your business and sign your name on the line, the deal is done. But two-way doors allow you to reverse course; to later change or terminate the action, without significantly negative consequences.
*You spent money on a FB ad that is not creating any sales as expected? Stop the ad early and cut your losses or make a small change to the copy and turn it into an A/B test. Decision made + adjusted..
*You delegated a project to a team member who is not executing the way you had hoped? Bring them back to the table and use it as a learning experience for you both. Decision made + adjusted.
As the wise saying goes, failure is a success if we learn from it.
Don’t fear making decisions. Most can be turned into a right decision, can be course-corrected, or can lead to a valuable lesson.
Take a moment today to look at your inbox, your text messages, your to-do list and any other places in your life where you see ‘clutter“ due to postponed decisions. What can you quickly move forward by making a two-way door decision? Get into action and watch the progress made and the lessons learned. I assure you they will be plentiful!
Need support making confident decisions and clearing the clutter? Reach out to join my Accountability C.R.E.W. program and tap into the power of positive accountability coaching!
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