Thursday, March 24th, 2010 — — —— — —— — —— — —— — —— — —— — — Spring Edition #161

Russell R. Shippee
Author, Speaker, Life Coach

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Oh no, it's time to DECIDE. Are you one of those people who can't make a decision? Are you one who decides based on other people rather than what works best for you?

A number of you may have missed receiving a few previous letters that could well be in your junk mail. The reason has to do with a switch to our return address. Please add rshippee@shippslight.com to your contact list so that future newsletters will continue to reach you.

Spring is here. To celebrate I took the cover off the schooner (in the picture above) to get ready to sail. Of course, it snowed on Monday. It always snows right after I take the cover off. That's OK, it's time for spring and it's time to change.

Last week I recommended 'SWITCH'. If you didn't check it out last week, you just might want to today. Do you know about the rider and the elephant? Do you want to be more effective in your communications? Read SWITCH. It's interesting, fun, and informative. You'll have more than a few 'ahaa' moments. You can get it in the bookstore click here — now!

I'll be one of the panelists at the Exit Planning Seminar in Boston on April 6th, It's for those who are in or thinking of business transition. If you own a business, or are buying a business from someone, this is knowledge you'll need. If you are close and want to attend, contact me. The link is here !

Timeline-Schedule. will be the next seminar. Yes, we are repeating it. It was popular; and we think more of you will want to take advantage of it. If you want to get more done, short term and long term, sign up. If you want to feel better about what you have done, sign up. If you want to have more balance in your life, sign up.

P.S. Remember, your time is limited, but not how you use it!

Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways.

Stephen Vincent Benét

An optimist is the human personification of spring.

Susan J. Bissonette

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.

Elizabeth Andrew

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.

Albert Einstein

Hey, I decide based on my gut and then Pop tells me, 'No'. If I take his advise, that
means I should do what I decide, anyway.
I am not sure he is going to like this.
Guess I'll just cut the article out and
hand it to him when he tells me no.

I suppose I am expected to 'decide' to help Pop paint the boat so we can go sailing. I'm still confused. Is it supposed to be my decision or his? He acts like it is his, but I think it should be mine. What do you think?

DECIDE

It’s time to decide:

What to do for a living
Where to live
Whom to associate with
What to study, learn
What my goals are for this month, year, and next 10 years
How to care for my body - food and exercise
What hobbies to focus on
How much to earn and what to do to accomplish it
How much time to devote to work vs family and friends
Where to vacation

Every moment of our waking lives we are making decisions. Many of them are unconscious habits that we may not even be aware of; but they are decisions. Our lives are the sum total of all those decisions.

Life is lived in individual minutes and in small decisions. Ice cream or exercise. A book or mindless tv. Daydream or get the work done. Study or text a friend.

Every minute counts. Every decision counts. Small bad decisions repeated, consciously or unconsciously, can adversely effect your whole life, what you accomplish and what you fail to accomplish.

Are you stuck? Are you afraid to make a decision? Are you afraid it will be the wrong decision so you don’t do anything? If you do nothing, if you fail to decide, you are automatically wrong. In effect, you have given up your chance to be right.

You already know the right answer. You already know what is right for you. It’s not what is right for the world, or what you think will look better to your friends. It is what is right for you at this time.

Your gut is your best guide. Feel the answer. Feel the solution. If you’ll just forget the mental thought process and the fear of what others will think or say, you can get to the right answer for you. Ask your gut.

Your gut tells you, if you’ll stop, feel, and listen. If it feels good, if it feels right, if it gives you a little peace and ah ha, it’s right for you at this time. Do it. Start it. Take the first step.

Do you remember a time when your mind said ‘yes’, or others told you ‘yes’, and your gut said ‘NO’? If you followed your mind and what others told you, I am sure it did not work. You gut was right; and you did not follow it.

When hiring people, I go through the normal process of reviewing resumes and references. Years ago, I ignored my gut and went with the ‘facts’. I did this twice. Both times the people did not work out and I had to let them go. My gut was right. It was not the right fit for me or my company.

If you study the mind (the conscious and the sub conscious), you will learn that you decide unconsciously or subconsciously first. You then, consciously try to justify the decision. The problem happens when you don’t let your gut guide you and fight the decision based on what others say or do.

Just as bad, or worse, is to do nothing.

Decide. Make a decision based on your gut and go with it. It’ll be right. If for any strange reason it isn’t, you can change and it won’t be the end of the world. It takes more energy to stay stuck than to decide and move forward.

Go with your gut. It’s right 99% of the time.