When it comes time to make tough decisions we often freeze.
Not knowing which road to travel is a common occurrence.
I was reflecting on what makes a high impact decision that
can change our personal and professional lives unique. How
are these choices different than the ones we make on a daily
basis?

As I was thinking about this question when I realized that
the decisions that really mattered to my personal and
professional life were the decisions that somehow had a
high impact to me and my surrounding environment.
Interestingly enough, once I made a hard decision it triggered
a pivotal chain of positive opportunities in my life.

This comes from wisdom. Keep in mind; wisdom and
knowledge are often two different things. Wisdom tells us
that once our decisions are not solely focused on the desired
outcome, we begin to realize that there is not only one way
of solving our problems. I am a big believer of letting my
heart to guide me. This is the best compass that human beings
have, yet it is one that is so protected, humble and seldom
manifests itself. Most adults lose the privilege of listening to
their inner voice. Once social norms, education, guilt and other
feelings manifest in our logic they come into direct conflict
with our heart.

Yet, it is there… from time to time, when we are alone with
ourselves, it manifests itself. These are the times that we
suddenly start to hear the sounds of the birds again, notice
the stars in the sky and find solutions to matters that we
thought were forgotten forever.

One of my coaching clients, Joanna, is a successful
businesswoman who was working hard to get a promotion.
She was spending hours at work, neglecting her family and
particularly herself. When the time came to get that promotion,
she was speechless and disappointed to learn that a new person
- an outsider - got the position that she was working so hard
for the past two years. Needless to say she was devastated.
She could not hide her disappointment and angry feelings.
Worst of all, her motivation fell through the roof. The
situation at home did not get any better. She became angry
with her family and almost ruined her marriage.

Joanna was lucky to realize that she needed to change
something in herself before losing everything that she worked
so hard for the past twenty years. She started reflecting on the
way she was living her life, writing down her typical days and
fears, and then at the end of the week answering the following
questions:

· Did my activity this past week make a difference
in someone’s life? Can I expect some results in the near
future? How many people are going to benefit from this?
Will the project that I am working on matter from a year
now?
· How many days did I laugh? Who were the people
that made me feel good? What have I done to thank them?
Does my happiness rely simply by getting from other people?
What did I give to the community this week?
· How many times this week did I take time for myself?
When did I treat myself? What things can someone else in
my life do? How effective was I in delegating work
personally and professionally?

Once she started doing these things, and learned to say no to
tasks that were not her direct responsibility, amazingly she
started seeing results in her emotional well being. She became
a calmer person and she was able to see the things that really
mattered to her. She started being more attentive with people,
caring and most importantly patient.

Her employees loved her new transformation. Without even
doing any extra work she was able to transform her team into
a team of people who fought for a common cause. They had
a sense of belonging and cared about working together.

Joanna’s compass became the questions, “will this matter to
anyone a year from now?” “Does this new project really
matter for our organization’s success?” “Will its stakeholders
benefit from this?” Team members were able to give their
best at work and at the same time enjoy their personal lives.

We all know that making decisions is one of the most
difficult tasks. Following these simple strategies I hope you
will find it easier to make decisions. Just remember to take
time to learn about yourself. Relax and think of how your
decision will impact not only you but your direct environment.
We are all so interrelated; we can simply not ignore this. The
decisions you make impact many others as well. Making
quality decisions can change your life!

Carole is President of Intentional Success Coaching offering
Personal Success Coaching, Marketing, Business Planning &
Internet Success Consulting. Visit her today for your FREE
coaching session and newsletter.http://www.intentionalsuccess.com