Flip A Coin
“When you have to make a hard decision, flip a coin. When that coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you’re hoping for.”
This quote has hit home on several occasions. There have been a few times in life where I was pretty sure I didn’t want to continue. The problem was that it was easier to continue than to sit down and make the realization I needed a change.
For most decisions, you probably lean to one side whether you want to admit it or not. Have someone else ask you the decision and flip the coin. The answer now feels out of your control. Allow yourself a second to think before they show you the result. It quickly becomes clear that you want a specific result.
Decisions can be very hard. Especially when you can’t make up your mind.
Robbie Abed recently discussed a situation he was in previously at a job he didn’t like. This same situation happened to me several months ago. I didn’t want to come into work anymore and secretly wished I had a reason to leave. About a month after realizing this, I left as well.
In one of his many amazing blog posts, Derek Sivers talks about decision making by either saying HELL YEAH or no. Now this works wonderfully if you’re not making a decision about starting something new. It’s easy to dismiss this tactic when you’re miserable. When you’re doing something soul sucking, you sometimes can’t bring yourself to say “hell yeah!” anymore. Flipping a coin can help you realize what you want to say “hell yeah!” to.
The truth is you’re always better off
When it comes to making a decision about pursuing a new path or staying, it’s always best to go with your gut feeling.
Do you immediately lean towards staying? Then you need to bring it up to your boss and coworkers about changes that need to be made. Truth is, you’re happy where you’re at, mostly. Some things aren’t working, so bring it up and get them fixed.
If you lean the other direction, then quit. You’ve always wanted to build things? Then go. In the world we live in today, you’ve got nothing stopping you. You can travel around the world in a matter of hours. A team of 13 can sell their company for $1 billion after just 2 years.
There is NO REASON you shouldn’t be doing what makes you excited day in and day out.