It’s a Maxie Monday today and a great one! I love her advice today and it’s definitely something I follow in my own life. I don’t like to force decisions, especially when they’re extra important. (I even go as far as giving myself “permission” to not think about a decision at hand until I absolutely have to!)
Don’t Know What to Do?
Guest post by Maxie McCoy
Guest post by Maxie McCoy
Apparently, the amount of decisions that you consciously make in a day is something like thirty-five thousand. Just thinking about it puts my tummy in a twist: milk or sugar? Or both? What should my subject line say? Answer the call or text back later? Blue dress or green khakis? Which. Freaking. Filter!?!?
My guess is that the majority of those decisions literally have no relative importance to the outcome of your life. They’re not game changers. They’re not soul busting, earth-shattering decisions. So you make them. Quickly. Mostly decisively (other than the Instagram filter). Done.
But what about the big decisions. The ones that matter. They matter to your future. They affect people you love. They set you on a specific course. Like where do you go to college? What job should you be doing in the future? What should you major in? What career path should you take? Should you date them? Should you move away?
These are big questions. Life questions. And they matter. But what happens when you literally cannot decide what to do?
A question I get asked all the time is what do I decide when I don’t know what to do? How do I decide when I don’t know what to do? What do I do when I don’t know what to do? Well, they’re all pretty much versions of the same issue: being totally stuck. Totally frozen. Unable to decide.
The answer? Do nothing. And yet, do something.
Ok, ok I know it’s a bit (totally?) contradictory. But stick with me and I think you’ll get what’s really going on here — That doing nothing and yet doing something in order to decide are actually two sides of the same coin.
The answer is completely contradictory, but completely necessary.
When you don’t know what to do and when you don’t have an answer…literally do nothing. Don’t force yourself to make a decision that doesn’t feel right. Realize that a lack of making a decision is a decision in and of itself. If you can’t figure where you want to live, don’t decide until you know. Until the fibres of your being speak to you and let you know the right course of action. If you don’t know what the next step in your career is, then don’t go out looking for jobs and trying to find something new just for the sake of it. Do nothing, and don’t force the funk. Your path, your next decision, will unfold for you if you allow it. If you listen to your gut. If you ask the #universe to show you the way.
And yet, when you don’t know what to do…. when you don’t know what is next… do something. Anything. Other than deciding. If you’re concerned about what major to take, sneak into a class to see if you even like what the upperclassmen are studying. If you have no idea what your purpose is, try looking for hobbies that set fire to your soul. You’ll know when you’re in your zone. If you really, really can’t make a decision, sit a few people whom you respect down and ask for their wisdom (however, don’t ask them for this). When you’re frozen and indecisive, doing something other than the deciding will ultimately lead you to the right decision.
Here’s the deal – no one knows what the heck they’re doing. Everyone is just trying to figure out life. Everyone is simply trying to make the best decisions with the best information they have at the moment. You’ll mess it up. You’ll get it right. It’s all part of the process! So if you have no idea what to do, do nothing for now. And also do something 🙂
xoxo
The little decisions matter because they add up over time, it's like the airplane that veers 1 degree off course and a few hours later its hundreds of miles off course. Then again it's impossible to plan things to the dot, so it's best to just follow what makes you happy and see where that direction takes you.
Thanks, Maxie, for this great post! I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said here. Making a decision just for the sake of it won't get any of us far. I learned that you need to make decisions that not only work for you but also make you happy.
Phyllis | http://www.prettypleese.com
Love this post, Maxie! Making decisions is hard, and sometimes overwhelming. I think the advice to just start somewhere is a good action to take when you are completely unsure of your next step.
http://www.livinginsteil.com
Vanessa
I love it, do nothing but do something! That totally relates to how I'm going about grad school lately!
Love,
Ane | Basque Prep
I love this SO much. Fab advice. <3
I love this post Maxie! Especially the part about well doing nothing about those big decisions. I have times where I wonder what my life would be like if I lived somewhere else, then I remember that I love where I am and what I'm doing right now. But when the time is right, I'll feel it and things will shift.
As for email subjects, I usually use something like hello! haha!
x Tali
Yebbie Life – my new blog!