Make-Up Your Mind!

Are you standing at a fork in the road and don't know which way to turn? Has conflicting information or advice left you reeling and feeling confused? Here is how to quiet the storm and clarify your thinking so that you can make a firm, confident decision.

Instructions

1. • 1
     WRITE IT DOWN - The best way make up your mind is to calm your internal storm and begin capturing those wild, unruly thoughts and ideas that are swirling around in your head. Put them down on paper. Allowing them to stay in your imagination allows them to grow into monsters of fantastic size. Let's bring them back into the realm of reality.
   • 2
     ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS - Draw a line down the center of the page in your notepad. Title one of the columns PROS and the other CONS. Begin by plucking those thoughts, ideas AND feelings, one-by-one from your mind and listing them on paper in either the PROS column or the CONS column.
   • 3
     LIST THE PROS - Anything that will be a positive or benefit you in some way, either directly or through others (like your family), put in the PROS side.
   • 4
     LIST THE CONS - Anything that will have an adverse or negative effect on either you or your family, list in this column.
   • 5
     RANK YOUR RESULTS - Rate everything on your PROS side, with 1 being your top priority, on down to the lowest priority having the highest number. Do the same with the CONS side, giving number 1 to the biggest negative, and so on.
   • 6
     COMPARE AND CONTRAST - Now, take your #1 PRO and compare it with your #1 CON. How do they stack up against each other? Which one is stronger in your mind? Is the benefit so great it is worth surmounting the negative in some way? Is the #1 CON so dire, so severe that it negates the positive entirely? Are there ways around the challenge?
   • 7
     PRIORITIZE AGAIN - Decide which one wins out, the #1 PRO or the #1 CON. Highlight it. Go on to the number 2's. Compare and Contrast as before. Highlight the winner. Go on to number 3's, and so on through your list in like manner.
   • 8
     WEIGH THE EVIDENCE - Now that you have all the winning thoughts, ideas and feelings highlighted, you should be able to notice whether there is more highlighted on the PROS or the CONS side. If it's too close to call, you may have to rethink some of them, but you should now see clearly which way you are leaning.
   • 9
     DECIDE ON A PLAN OF ACTION - Now that you have clarified your position, you should be able to step forward in the direction of your new decision and face it with confidence and resolve.
   • 10
     FOLLOW THESE STEPS - This method can work for any major dilemma or decision you are faced with, no mater what it is. It is very empowering and will give you a sense of peace and freedom as you capture those mental and emotional monsters and shrink them down to size.