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Was it the RIGHT decision?
11 Plays2 months ago
How can we ever really know whether or not we made the RIGHT decision?
And is there actually such thing as a WRONG decision?
Hindsight is fabulous, it helps us reflect on what we learn post decision and experience, but does it actually lead us to believing we should have made a different decision in the first place?
At the time of making a decision we do so based on experiences of the past, desires for the future and our discernment in the that present moment… we can only really trust in that our discernment which is based on our understanding at that time, taking the learnings from our past experiences and observations we have made of others around us and seeing their journey.
In this episode I am going to share with you a practice & journal prompts that I have found to be supportive in making decisions & taking aligned action.
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Transcript
Introduction: Living Uniquely and Profitably
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you desire to turn your passion into income? Connect with other creative souls who also dance to the beat of their own drum? I'm Marie Nicole and I'm devoted to combining beauty, uniqueness and connection in everyday living experiences. As a creative professional and Dharma coach, I help people connect to the truth of who they are and facilitate them in embodying their uniqueness. It is my hope in this podcast that I inspire you to live your life on your terms and earn your income through being uniquely you.
Life's Uncertain Decisions
00:00:44
Speaker
So how do you know you've made the right decision when it comes to any and all aspects of life? Should you have entered into that relationship, taken that job, started that business in the way that you did or the time that you did?
00:01:00
Speaker
Would things have worked out better had you waited, read the signs being presented to you? That could have brought things to a close sooner or not even taken those first steps that led you down a path with an outcome you did not foresee. How can we really know whether or not we made the right decision? And is there actually such a thing as a wrong decision? Hindsight is fabulous. It helps us reflect on what we've learned post-decision and experience But does it actually lead us to believing we should have made a different decision in the first place? At the time of making a decision, we do so based on experiences of the past, desires for the future and our discernment in that present moment. We can only really trust that our discernment, which is based on our understanding at the time, taking the learnings from our past experiences and observations we have made,
00:01:54
Speaker
of others around us seeing their journey. Not that we travel the exact same path as another, but we can take inspiration and insight from experiences of others and use that to support us in making our own decisions.
Personal Decision-Making Experiences
00:02:09
Speaker
Over the last two and a half years I have had many decisions to make that honestly I did not expect to have to do at this time in my life's journey. Some decisions have been very confronting and uncomfortable, while I felt that The most difficult decisions had already been made in the past. Life revealed to me that difficult decisions will always be present no matter what stage and phase of our life's journey we are in. Learning the art of making a decision and taking action on that decision without regret is really a skill that I feel serves us best. Because in the end, the journey we are taken on after we've made a decision is where the real magic takes place.
Support for Small Businesses in NSW
00:02:53
Speaker
In this episode, I'm going to share a short practice with you that I like to take myself through and I've also guided some of my clients through, as well as some journal prompts that I have found to be very supportive in making decisions and taking aligned action. Now, if you've made the decision to start your own business and would like to be supported in reducing overwhelm when it comes to your business's digital presence,
00:03:20
Speaker
then make the most of this opportunity to receive that help at a much lower rate through this government funded initiative, serving micro and small business owners. If you are in New South Wales, Australia, have an ABN and run a for-profit micro or small business for a small fee of $45 plus GST, when you select the all access option, you can receive up to four hours of one-to-one coaching, focusing specifically on your needs in the digital space.
00:03:50
Speaker
Signing up to the program through my affiliate link and choosing the all access option, you'll also be supporting the production of this podcast as I receive a small fee for bringing you into the program.
Podcast Motivation and Impact
00:04:01
Speaker
Making this decision to start this podcast was based on the fact that I wanted to continue to serve and support others in their business journey in a way that reaches more business owners than just in my physical surroundings. Offering my services through this program has provided me the pleasure of working with a wide range of inspiring business owners across the state of New South Wales. If you'd like to read some of their testimonials and gain some insight into how supportive this program has been for others traveling the same uncharted waters as you, visit the digital guide page on the Creators Nest website to read their reflections. It's a really great way to get a taste of how working with a coach
00:04:45
Speaker
can help unlock simple, effective ways to take your business to the next level in the area of your digital presence.
Intuitive Decision-Making Practice
00:04:53
Speaker
To register for the Digital Solutions Program, simply click on the link provided in the show notes. Now the very simple and effective exercise is one that connects our mind-body intelligence. Training our mind-body connection and exercising our intuition is something we can do at any time.
00:05:13
Speaker
even when we simply are choosing a meal off a menu or what to wear in the morning. Let's take the scenario of where you get and get notice of an upcoming event or workshop and it gives you a rush of excitement and you just know you have to be involved and when you sign up you get this expansive feeling that makes you just know this is in alignment with what you need to be doing right now and then you get there and you meet someone that you connect with on a deeper level And before you know it, you're discussing an idea that you've had parked in the back of your mind that you just knew you needed to connect with the right person to bring it into reality. And this connection leads you to a collaboration with that person or someone that they know that could assist you in bringing that idea into reality. But if you didn't trust your intuition and actually register or attend that event, you may not have actually found that person or connection. So trusting your intuition and taking aligned action
00:06:12
Speaker
is really what this is about. The practice that I like to get people to do, and I do myself as I said, is called Expansive and Contractive. Let's relate this to a business decision. You have several ideas for events or workshops that you could potentially run, but you don't know which to start with. The first step is to write down all the ideas and read out each one, one at a time, taking a deep breath as you do and feel any sensations that come through in your body. It may be that your heart starts to race a little with excitement, you may feel your chest tighten, or you might feel a fluttering in your stomach, or you might even feel a sharp pain in your belly. Some ideas may feel expansive and others may feel contractive. Not all ideas are the right ones for you to focus on right now.
00:07:03
Speaker
So as you go through and you read and breathe into the feeling of each idea, write an E for expansive next to those that feel expansive and a C for those that feel contractive. Now there may be some that don't give you a feeling at either end of the spectrum. And for those, write down an N for neutral and write a little note next to it giving the reason why you think that is and leave it as part as an idea that you might come back to some other time. Once you've gone through your list, scan over the ones that have an E next to them that really feel expansive and circle the one that feels most expansive because that's the idea that you should step into and take action on first.
Decision Recording and Analysis
00:07:51
Speaker
Now you may wish to record this list in the form of a spreadsheet and categorize them as expansive, contractive or neutral.
00:07:58
Speaker
While something may not feel right for you now, it could down the track in the same way that not all ideas are ones that you need to realise. That said, you could end up with several very expansive ideas, in which case the next step is to assess what timeframe you require to prepare and promote the events and how to deliver them in a way that fits in with your other commitments. Some may be suited to a particular season or relate to themes throughout the year,
00:08:27
Speaker
Now keeping a record of this list means you can revisit it and do this expansive and contractive exercise whenever you feel stuck on what to offer next. And this process can be applied to many other aspects of everyday living decisions. Another factor to consider when making decisions is what are your core values and your non-negotiables. In episode 26, I devoted the whole episode to this very topic so if you'd like to hear more about that your non-negotiables and knowing them I'll place a link to that episode in the show notes too. Of course there are times that we make a decision and at a later stage we perhaps might revisit that decision. I've done that myself recently.
Artisanal Work and Life Pivot
00:09:12
Speaker
With all the changes taking place and feeling like the foundation beneath my feet
00:09:16
Speaker
were shifting so quickly that I could not adjust fast enough, I realized that an income stream I had decided to let slide a year ago was actually very grounding for me. So reigniting my handcrafted wares as an income stream was a decision I revisited. When I closed my commercial space 18 months ago, I shifted my focus away from my artisanal work and focused heavily on my coaching and other freelance work.
00:09:46
Speaker
but have been making space in my schedule again for some handcrafting as an income stream. Slowly reopening product listings in my online store and starting with items that contribute to my days in magical ways of which there are many. If you'd like to see what's currently available, there's a link to the online store in the show notes. Now working remotely, having diversified income streams with several branches of my core business. All these items have helped me work more efficiently and effectively, stay organized and process my thoughts, especially with all of the shifts and changes life presents me with so I can continue to grow and expand rather than feel constrained or limited by situations. So you too may find some of the products that um have been made by me with intention and love supportive to you in your daily life and journey too.
00:10:40
Speaker
Over the weekend I created a prototype for a product I've been wanting to make for some time and it was this little pencil pouch which holds six spare pencils and it was inspired by the fact that I carry items for my mobile office around in a large leather pouch so I keep things organised and accessible and transportable.
00:11:03
Speaker
And I recently did a little video on that for Instagram and YouTube, so if you'd like to see that and take some inspiration for how you too can create your own version, I'll include a link to that clip in the show notes as well. Now in this clip I mention I keep spare pencils in that pouch. What I did not share was that those spare pencils are stored in their original box. But this box gets squashed and doesn't stay closed when that happens, so occasionally pencils would fall out.
00:11:31
Speaker
So I created this little leather pouch to keep them secure. Deciding to reactivate my artisanal income stream has led me spending more time in my studio immersing myself in making, which as I said earlier is very grounding for me. And so I finally got around to making this pencil pouch, which I've been wanting to do for a while. So if I ever feel myself overwhelmed,
00:11:57
Speaker
The act of making brings me back to my centre. So this has led me to realise that a part of what is essential for me to maintain is a space to create. So when it comes to leaving this home and moving into another, it'll be essential that I am able to handcraft in that new space too. A year ago, I was prepared to let go of my studio and become a digital nomad and earn my living through remote work. But with experiencing the physical impact of working on a computer predominantly and the awareness that that is not supportive for me personally, which I spoke about back in episode 52 titled understanding your human vehicle and add to that the current sudden and disorienting experiences I've had leading me to connect back to my artisanal crafting and experiencing once again how supportive that is for me both physically and mentally. I am now making decisions
00:12:56
Speaker
with that awareness in mind.
Journaling for Introspection
00:12:58
Speaker
I often journal on a question that has surfaced in recent years. And that question is, what would I be doing if I were not doing this? The interesting thing is, every time I ask myself that question, I come to the same conclusion. And that is, I would be doing exactly the same thing, but potentially in a different location. Because the core values I live by don't really change.
00:13:24
Speaker
They always sit at the base of my decisions and the way that I engage in life can be boiled down to three main words, curiosity, connection and creation. Now, while I could expand on this, I may leave doing so for now because I'd like to share a couple of other questions I often journal on.
00:13:43
Speaker
Now, especially when I'm feeling down and flat first thing in the morning, this next question is really powerful and that is, how do I wish to feel at the end of the day and what can I do to foster that? Writing out a response to this question often leads me to stating I wish to feel like I am contributing to the collective in a way that serves others, but also wish to feel supported myself. The second part of the question leads me to work out ways that I can take action that takes me out of a funk, choosing to do something that a raises my vibration and supports me in moving forward in the direction I wished ahead in my life's journey. Which is especially important to focus on after having everything I thought I had created as a foundation for my life suddenly crumble beneath my feet. Maintaining the perspective that I still get to choose, how I feel each day, empowers me to keep creating a life I love
00:14:41
Speaker
which then flows on to serve others too. A more recent question I've been journaling on is what new interests or inspiration would I like to pursue? This one reminds me of things that I have set off to the side that have piqued my interest but getting caught in survival mode I have not yet taken action on. So I have been writing out what it is that I'm curious about that I would really like to explore while giving myself permission not to have to commit to something long-term if after exploring it I find it does not align. There are lots of things I'd like to try and explore further and this is where the expansive and contractive exercise is really helpful on deciding what to do first but also cross-referencing that with my non-negotiables. While an opportunity may present itself that aligns with my core values, the timing of it may not align with my non-negotiables.
No Wrong Decisions Philosophy
00:15:38
Speaker
So to close the loop on this episode, I'd like to come back to where I began. Is there actually such a thing as a wrong decision? Hindsight is fabulous. It helps us reflect on what we've learned, post-decision and experience. But does it actually lead us to believing we should have made a different decision in the first place? At the time of making a decision, we do so based on our experiences of the past,
00:16:03
Speaker
desires for the future and our discernment in that present moment. We can only really trust that our discernment, which is based on our understanding at that time, taking the learnings from our past experiences and observations we have made of others around us, that is really what leads us down that magical path of discovering. What next? Even if it's not what we expected, the journey is a part of the joy, right?
00:16:30
Speaker
So until next week, stay curious about that which you've not yet explored, stay connected to your core values and create a life that fuels your passion, fulfills your purpose in this lifetime. Don't be afraid to make so-called wrong decisions or afraid to revisit a decision that you've previously made that you want to go back on.
00:16:51
Speaker
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is, and I hope you got value out of listening to this podcast.
Invitation to Engage and Share Insights
00:16:58
Speaker
If you are looking for a coach to support and guide you through your own unique journey of creating a life you love, then reach out for a connection call. And if you'd like to connect with other creative souls in person by joining us at a workshop, a retreat, or to book a unique um shopping experience here at Creators Nest, I run those by appointment. So check out the website for more details. The link is in the show notes.
00:17:22
Speaker
Oh, and please leave a review. I'd love to hear any insights or inspirations that were activated in you from this podcast. And I look forward to drumming, dancing or soaring alongside of you.