Sounds a little weird, doesn’t it? Here’s the deal. The smart decision makers I‘ve interviewed all mentioned some forms of discernment and discomfort in the stories they told me about become successful at making the best choices. Let’s talk about them one at a time.
First, discernment. In today’s non-stop world, it seems to be a lot tougher to take time to consider the true nature of a problem. But is it really? As tired as this sounds, we all have the same amount of time everyday. It’s how we allocate that counts. In a rush to get some decision off the list? Are you sure you’re solving the right problem? Taking a step back to reflect on the issue itself ensures that you’re committing to the most appropriate action. Have you ever solved the wrong problem because you didn’t look at the bigger picture first? We all have.
In Figure It Out, I list five questions to ask when clarifying any problem. The most important of these is, “What does success look like?” A lot of times, the short-term answer doesn’t solve the longer-term challenge. Taking time to discern what’s really going on will save you extra effort most times.
Second, discomfort. A close friend of mine poses a question to her students when they complain about having to make tough choices or work through an unfamiliar task. She simply asks “Have you ever grown without discomfort?” That can be a maddening question because of the conundrum it presents.
Most times, we know what we should do, but resist because it will cause us discomfort. “I know who has the answer, but I’m afraid to ask,” or “I know I have to bring this up with the team, but I know there’ll be resistance,” or “I know there’s no right or wrong answer. I just have to take the calculated risk.” You get the picture.
So there you have it. Take time to discern what’s really happening and get past your resistance to discomfort. Those making the best decisions around you have developed these habits and embrace them continually.