Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Being the Decider
A lot has been written lately about executive function. Really, executive function is just a fancy name for good old-fashioned decisiveness.
Indecisiveness is a common-denominator among many of my clients, or at least in the areas of their homes and lives that I am helping them to tackle. You might think that someone indecisive would be a wishy-washy sort of a person. Not so. In fact, in my experience the people who are most flummoxed by decision-making are the perfectionists. They over-think, over-research and over-worry each little thing.
I am certainly not nearly as smart as many of my clients, but my executive function is strong. Trust me, it isn’t that I am free of self-doubt, but I do have a few qualities that help:
1) I am a bit of a cynic. I don’t really believe that one cell phone company, to give just one example, is that much better than the other. Yeah, T-mobile might be cheaper today, but they’ll jack you up to Verizon rates in no time. Yes, there are deals to be had… but are the deals worth the constant research and switching hassles? I think not.
2) I am a bit of a fatalist. Yes, yes, I think we should do our due-diligence, research a few options, and get a 2nd opinion before we do anything major; but part of me believes, actually knows, that no matter how well informed or calculated my decision is, there are always a million variables waiting to ambush us.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, what I am really talking about is CONTROL. Counter-intuitively I think that people who have great executive function are the ones who have made peace with the idea that they can’t control everything. They make the best decision that they can, as quickly as they can and they move on. They know that the worst decision of all is the deferred decision, and sometimes the best-laid plans go awry. It is better to have already moved onto the next project than to hover and fret.
You don’t have to totally give up research. Just limit yourself. Give yourself a deadline about when you are going to decide. Check out a few options, go with your gut and move on. You’ll feel better and I bet you’ll be amazed at how well those ‘on-the-fly’ decisions work out!