Many people think they are running through life without any control over it. Like a hamster on a wheel. But have you ever thought about just how many decisions you DO have control of in your day? 59,000 on average, actually. And if you are like me when I owned a business or lead a team, I sometimes had decision fatigue.
You already have the average daily human decisions such as hit snooze or get up, shower or not shower, what to wear, what to eat, stopping at the red light…you get my drift. As a leader you are also making choices at the office, including all the questions your team is probably asking you on a daily basis. What to handle first, how to react to certain situations, how to handle a conflict….
Do you think some of these things aren’t a choice? Like stopping at that stop sign? It is a choice. You choose it unconsciously because you value the law or your health or your car or others. Maybe you don’t like the consequences. But you ultimately have the choice.
Time spent in your career is no different. What are you doing because that’s what you’ve always done or the way you’ve always done it? Who is handling what, and why? Not only why is that specific person handling it, but why is anyone handling it all?
Years ago, a friend challenged me to play a game – she called it The George Costanza (George was a character on the sitcom Seinfeld. In a particular episode he decided all the decisions he made in the past didn’t give him the life he wanted, so he would do the opposite going forward). I played. I literally made the opposite decision of what I would instinctually make for an entire day (as long as it was safe!).
It takes an intentional pause. This is not an exercise to make yourself wrong. This is an exercise in awareness. With humor and curiosity, it can lead to very productive days, months and eventually years.
Are you willing to play? Play on your own or alongside your team. Question every action. You won’t catch even close to 59,000 but if you pay attention, you catch way more than you thought.
I learned that I make and have a lot more choices than I give myself credit for (and that I make excuses for). Owning actions is empowering, not to mention helps you reach your goals faster.