Try it on

One way to make a decision when we have multiple choices is to try each of our choices on – and then let the wisdom of our bodies and intuition inform us. Here’s how to do this:

Pick one possible choice that you could make in this decision that you’re considering. Physically move out of your chair or where you’ve been thinking about the various choices you have. Move to where you can imagine “stepping into” this one choice. Imagine you have made this choice (retire completely now, for example). Envision the various details of what it would mean to live this choice. Use as many of your senses as you can to fully imagine what it would be like for you to live this choice. Once you’ve really imagined this, then notice what’s happening in your body since you stepped into this choice. What sensations do you notice? What’s going on with your thoughts and feelings? Notice how right this choice might feel to you now. Let your body and your inner knowing weigh in on this choice. Once you have a good sense of your non-verbal reaction to this choice, then step away from where you’re standing, literally, and shake off this vision and your response to it. Shimmy and shake and sling it all off, just like a dog getting out of the lake slings off water.

Moving your body through where and how you stand and then in the shaking off process helps you be more aware of your body and the way it is responding to your choices.

Then try the same process for your next choice (retire and work part time for a couple of years, for example). Physically move to a different location and imagine “stepping into” this choice. Fully imagine that you have made this choice and you are living your life this way. Engage as many of your senses as you can in your imagination. And once again, when you’re fully living this choice in your mind’s eye, notice how your body reacts to this possibility. What’s going on in your body and with your thoughts and feelings? Notice how right this choice might feel to you now. Once you have a sense of your non-verbal reaction to this choice, you can step away, shake it off, and try on another choice if you have one.

Important reminders: Perfection keeps us stuck. Forget about finding the perfect choice. Look instead for the good enough choice for now that keeps you moving towards your goals. Behavioral science tells us that the more choices we have, the harder it is to make a decision and the less likely we are to be satisfied with the decision we do make. So be compassionate with yourself.

Think of a decision you want to make now. Rather than journal about it, try it on with this process. Feel your way into the various possible choices and see how your non-verbal wisdom informs you. Then you can make notes about what you noticed.

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