If you know me, you know I have probably asked you a million times, “what do you think I should do?”
From picking a latte or an iced tea, to whether I should study abroad or not…whatever the decision is, I never want to be the one to make it.
But I’m here to share how I’ve started deciding on things recently without harassing my friends and family first.
Now, to preface, advice from others can be so helpful, but they shouldn’t be deciding everything for you. You want to know what’s best for you.
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What is your gut saying?
It may sound cliche– but this can be the quickest solution. Ask yourself again out loud or in your head what you’re deciding between, and then don’t think; just answer. Usually, the first thing you think of comes from that gut feeling, regardless of the banter that follows, like “well, what if…” or other hypotheticals.
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Pros and Cons
But if you want to get into the spiraling banter that comes with being indecisive, at least make a super simple pro and con list. Not a laundry list, but just name what good and what bad will come out of the situation to give it more clarity.
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Life is short
So depending on the decision, sometimes it can help to say “life is short.” And unfortunately, college is even shorter.
Sometimes I even pose the question I heard from the Office S4E13, “You can buy new stuff, but you can’t buy a new party!
In maybe more relatable terms, if you run into your friend on Comm Ave, it might be nice to get coffee with them instead of studying. You could study for a test anytime, but how often do you see that friend? (But please study for your tests)
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Talk it out, but write it down.
It will be you and yourself talking it out…but on paper. Resist the urge to call your friend, your mom, whoever. Instead, grab a pen and paper and get those thoughts out of your brain.
If you don’t like journaling…good luck, Charlie. Kidding! Horrible transition to how I mean to say, instead of journaling, video journal! Talk out your life on camera booth. It can be cathartic.
Either video or classic journaling can help clarify what you want to decide on.
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Sleep on it.
My best advice yet is to sleep on it. We all need more rest anyway.
However, I recommend completing option four before this one so you can at least sleep without your thoughts running around in your head.
But anyways, sometimes, after a good night’s rest, you’ll wake up with a fresh set of eyes, a clear head, and ready to make a decision.
So there it is, five ways to be more decisive when facing your next big “what should I do?”
Hopefully, you can decide on which option to use!
