Decision Masters

This week, we're throwing it back to one of my favorite episodes from 2023: the Midyear Reflect & Reset. It includes a free downloadable worksheet to help you do a simple, powerful reset no matter when you're listening. You'll walk away with: A guided framework for taking stock of your year so far Prompts to celebrate wins, honor hard stuff, and course-correct with clarity One crucial question to shape your next season on purpose Also in this episode:

Are you actually overthinking… or just being thorough? And how do you tell the difference? In this quick episode, we're digging into one of the biggest mindset traps I see with clients — and giving you super actionable ways to take your decision-making process off auto-pilot (without forcing yourself to "just go faster"). We'll cover: ✅ How to tell if your decision process is a problem — or just your style ✅ The energy driving your decision-making (and why this matters more than how long a choice takes) ✅ How to stop defaulting to unhelpful patterns (hint: this has to do with the "Overthinker" label) ✅ Questions to check in on your relationship with your decision process — so you can change what's not working! Bottom line: It isn't "overthinking" every time you take a week to make a choice. Learning the distinction will help you own your decisions with confidence — and take control when your process starts to spin out.

This week, we're tackling one of the sneakiest habits high-functioning overthinkers fall into: making everything harder than it needs to be. From your day-to-day to your biggest goals, overcomplicating your plans might be costing you time, energy, and results — and today, I'm showing you how to stop. I'm walking you through two real-life examples (one goal-oriented, one daily-life related), and giving you the two HQQs (high-quality questions) I use with clients to simplify any decision or plan. Because yes: you can want high-quality results AND things to be easier at the same time! Here's where we go: Why smart, capable people default to making things harder The hidden cost of overcomplicated plans How to spot when you're spiraling in decision-making Two questions to simplify any plan A whole lot of permission to do it the easier way

What happens when a former anxious overthinker goes to London with no plan? This week, I'm walking you through the real-life experiment I ran last month: a 4-day solo trip to London with one plan (see the Harry Potter show) and zero itinerary. My goal? To enjoy myself without burning brain energy on constant second-guessing or planning every minute of the day. In this episode, I'm sharing the decision-making strategies I used before, during, and after the trip to: Avoid regret Reduce friction Feel present Make quick, clear choices (even when I wasn't sure what I wanted) But this isn't just for travel: If you're someone who struggles with overthinking daily decisions or wants to stop wasting mental energy on what-if spirals, this episode will help you rethink how you make choices — and how to support yourself better while doing it. We talk about: Why clarifying your intentions before any big decision helps everything feel easier How to set parameters and use "decisions in advance" to avoid getting stuck What happens when you affirm your choices once you make them What to do when you genuinely don't know what you want How to limit your options in a way that actually feels freeing Cheerio! LINKS!-- What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! https://kirstenparker.com/quiz-- Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free: https://kirstenparker.com/sayno-- Find out how Decision Coaching will change your life: https://kirstenparker.com/coaching

Ok so you're an expert second-guesser. I've gotchyoo. And I've got a super simple solution for you too: You just need to change where your attention goes after you make a decision. This episode is about one of the most common friction points I help clients with: the habit of second-guessing. It's not about perfection or not caring about mistakes — it's about interrupting the spiral of post-decision doubt that keeps you mentally stuck and emotionally drained. Here's where we go: Why second-guessing has little to do with making the “right / best” choice How your post-decision attention makes the difference in your confidence What standing by your choices (even imperfect ones) really looks like If you're constantly revisiting your choices and wondering if you did the “right” thing, this episode is your next decision reset. LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation or submit an Inquiry Form to explore what we can do together.

You don't need to become a ruthless, self-centered robot to start owning what you want. You do need to stop writing your entire life around other people's possible reactions. This episode is a mix of personal reflection (it's my birthday!

So... I got a tattoo. In a foreign country. On what looked like a whim. But (spoiler) this episode is about much more than ink. It's about what happens when you hit a stretch of life that feels like one transition too many — and how to reclaim your role as the chooser of your own life, even when you can't control everything happening in it. Here's where we go: The story behind my “impulse” tattoo and what it taught me about resistance, ownership, and presence 3 ways to rethink what it means to “choose” your life — even when parts of it are messy or not what you expected How to spot when you're living out old goals... and how to start deciding on purpose again This one's for you if you're in a season that's left you feeling detached, foggy, or like your current life is running on decisions Past You made. You don't have to climb a mountain to get clarity — I already did that for us. LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation or submit an Inquiry Form to explore what we can do together.

If you're already fried and summer hasn't even started yet...this episode's for you. Because May — or Maycember, as some know it — has a way of draining the life out of you with nonstop events, decisions, and that special blend of chaos, guilt, and calendar overload. Here's where we go in this episode: Spot the invisible energy drains that can make this month feel so heavy Get 3 tools to make your decisions way less draining in the season ahead Hear my personal approach to calming May chaos As I share in the episode, this isn't about doing less - it's about deciding better. (YES please.) LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

Today, we're bridging the gap between decisiveness and self-regulation. Learn how to become a more effective decision-maker by understanding and managing your physiological, mental, and emotional states. We'll talk about: What to do when you have to decide NOW vs. when you can wait How you need different self-regulation tools for different states Why regularly self-regulating this will make you a more decisive person LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

Ok - negative consequences aren't fun, but the good news is: getting better at dealing with them will help you become more decisive! Let's talk about the importance of dealing with undesirable outcomes, understanding self-blame, and enhancing emotional processing and stress recovery. We'll also touch on the need to stay on your own team and embrace regret as part of life's journey. (BOO, I know, but it's true and you know it!) LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

Struggling to make decisions? You might just be stuck comparing reality to what could be—and it's draining your energy. This episode breaks down how accepting what is helps you be more decisive, trust your choices, and stop wasting time in indecision. We're talking about: How to be honest about what you truly dislike (in a non-drive-yourself-crazy-with-comparison kind of way) The importance of processing emotions And how acceptance is different from "settling" LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

In this installment of the series on How to Become More Decisive (woot!) I discuss a crucial but often overlooked aspect of decisiveness: choosing not to make a decision right now. Many people, including my clients, struggle with feeling indecisive when they defer decisions. Today, I'm explaining how rethinking this behavior as a conscious choice can transform your self-perception and reduce mental load. By naming these choices and scheduling them for a better time, you can boost your confidence and clarity! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

This new series (!) is all about making decisions easier and more efficient using bite-sized wisdom. Today, we'll explore how my dad's philosophy on saving money can help us clear mental and physical clutter, making it easier to become more decisive. The main takeaway? If you want to be more decisive, then 51% of the time, you have to want the decision to be done MORE than you want it to be perfect, make everyone happy or feel guaranteed! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

How do you organize the chaos pile that is your brain when you're thinking about changing jobs? You pay attention to what decisions you're tasking yourself with, and what the most valuable questions are to answer next! Here are the logistics steps that make it easier for my clients to change jobs while remaining as clear-headed as possible: THE MATH: Know your numbers so you can trust your choices and keep your needs met TIMEFRAME: Don't let yourself accidentally stay 5 more years for no good reason BOUNDARIES: Pressure can help or hurt — you need to know how to honor your limits OTHER PEOPLE: Here's how to approach decisions with people they might impact PLAN FOR THE UNIDEAL: If you're scared of things "not going to plan," you need to make a plan for that USE YOUR PEOPLE: Talk out loud to people in your network to help you on your way! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together. Mentioned in this episode: Terrance Real (Relational Life Therapy and "democratic relationships") Tina Seelig's TEDTalk "The little risks you can take to increase your luck" Decision Masters Ep 22: "The Best Way to Pitch Yourself" with Expert Guest, Laura Brennan

Here's something that comes up often when people are considering changing jobs - and it can lead you to staying somewhere you don't truly want to be for YEARS. The fear of "leaving people in the lurch" - aka, "quitting guilt." What will happen if I leave before X Project is done, while Y Person already has too much on their plate...what if the whole place falls apart! This episode will help you: Articulate exactly what you're afraid will happen if you leave your job (beyond "Jerry will be screwed") Identify what you do and DON'T want to take responsibility for Make a plan you feel good about to make your job change (that lets you leave on your terms, without being a certified jerk person) Enjoy! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

Your overthinking, over-active, over-anxious brain might not like this episode. But YOU will, so listen on. Today's lessons will truly apply to any big decision — but since the decision to change jobs can be such a fraught one (that can take years to work through), we're using that one for context. Here's what we're talking about today: My best strategy for deflating the overwhelm of ALL the things to figure out, when it comes to changing jobs Why you might not be able to "force" an answer to What do I want to do next? even if you think you NEED one before you take a next step Science reminders about how your brain does its best thinking The truth is, there can be a LOT of resistance to slowing down and taking on one decision at a time. In my 7+ years of Coaching as of 2025, I've heard it all! But my job is to advocate for YOUR highest happiness, even if your habits and fears and cognitive biases are putting up their own fight. Today's episode is about freeing yourself to think about what you really want — and giving yourself the space to do that without tons of overwhelm. LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

How many years (decades?) have you been struggling with these questions? Am I doing a good enough job? What that a good enough response? Did I do well enough today? Am I good enough? Fundamentally, these are good questions to keep us on track to live the lives we want, including all the achievement and fulfillment our hearts desire. Practically, however...they end up a lot less USEFUL day-to-day. This episode will help you: Notice when you're having unhelpful, limiting conversations with yourself Define "good" and "good enough" on your own terms (for any role you inhabit) Begin the next chapter of your life RIGHT NOW (the one where you stop questioning your "good enoughness" every single day) LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. There are limited spots open for Private Coaching right now! Book your free no-strings consultation to explore what we can do together.

We're pulling from the DEEP archives today, y'all! You may or may not be familiar with the Principles of SIMPLE Decision-Making. Regardless, they're worth a revisit because you're guaranteed to hear something you absolutely need to hear today — to make your life easier and decisions clearer! Today's episode is all about MAKEABLE decisions: How to spot when you're stressing over NON-makeable decisions Why you're prone to think makeable decisions are "too small" or "not good enough" What this idea has to do with your level of self-trust And where your comfort with uncertainty Here's the recap of the SIMPLE Principles (for the full review, go back to Episodes 4-10, where I break down each concept!): S - Singular (one decision at a time) I - Intentional Energy (don't try to force decisions from a stressed, thoughtless state) M - Makeable (this is today's episode!) P - Prioritize Yourself (make choices easier by starting from what you want first) L - Lots of Options (avoid all-or-nothing traps by expanding your perspective) E - Efficient (use your time and energy wisely when working through decisions) LINKS! Download the Overthinker's Checklist to see exactly how you're overthinking and exactly how to get outta your head and clear on your next best move. What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

Welcome back to one of the most popular episodes of 2023! So many choices are influenced by our fear of eliciting certain reactions from other people. This is FOPO in action: Fear of People's Opinions. It swoops in to compel us to not say what we mean, not advocate for what we want, agree to stuff we don't want to do... And while it often happens on a small scale, it can impact HUGE life choices (where you live, work you do, who you spend your time with). Obviously, you don't want to base your biggest decisions on "how So-n-So might react" — and that's what today's episode will help you with. Listen in on what's REALLY going on when you're afraid of what someone will think / feel / do in response to your choices, and how this can FREE you from making decisions out of FOPO! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

I like to think of goals as mountains you want to climb. An obstacle "at the trail head" for a lot of people is this big misunderstanding: That you need a perfect routine and/or to go 110% HAM in order to achieve a goal. If you've been frustrated at your lack of progress on a goal (or starting, period) - but you also can't (or don't want to!) get into systematized daily routine, or take a week off to laser-focus on one thing only, this episode's for you. We get into: When *consistent* is better than *perfect* How to create faster results with "spread out effort" Why focusing on how you SHOULD be able to do it is a waste of time LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

Are you stuck in regret? Ruminating on past decisions? Overthinking choices you could have (or "should have") made differently, and imagining how life would be different right now? Whether you're mad about something TODAY because of last week or you're contemplating your entire LIFE, this episode will help you. In all 140 episodes, #29 has received the most feedback - so let's bring it back to the top of the list! This is a revisit of #29: The Cure for "If only" agony. Essentially, we're talking about why we get stuck in thinking about the "Coulda Woulda Shoulda." Where we could today be if we'd only done X yesterday How we wouldn't feel this year if we only hadn't done Y ten years ago What life should look like because things shoulda gone differently It's a kind of singularly crappy pain to wholeheartedly believe things would be better...you would be happier or more successful...IF ONLY you'd decided X instead of Y. But this thinking is a trap — and you need to know how to get out of it. LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

In this week's revisit episode, we're talking about being BEHIND. But we're NOT talking about how to catch up on the mountains of stuff you're behind on. No time management — No delegating — No uber-efficient productivity plans. In reality, those are all Tylenol.

This may be a revisit of a previous episode (#121), but January is a perfect time to update your Core Values! Whether you're going through a big life change or you've simply experienced an internal "season shift," now is a great time to check in and update your Core Values. The best questions I can offer to make this easy are: What do I want influencing my choices right now? Three months from now, what will I be happy having done / tended do / avoided? In this episode, I walk you through my own conversation with myself (on a dog walk) during which I updated my Core Values — YES it can be that easy! I remind you of the guidelines of crafting your Core Values, and let you know how to get the most out of them. So you can make the best, most aligned, trustworthy choices going forward, and create the life you really want! LINKS! THROUGH JAN 27 ONLY! Commit to 2025 goals YEAR-ROUND with Quarterly Private Coaching What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

We hear a lot about physical fitness around New Year's, but what about mental fitness? Particularly — making the most of your mental ENERGY? Today we're covering 3 ways you're going to save mental energy this year, so you can redirect it to things worthwhile (you know...like your hopes, dreams, health and dog cuddles). Here are three mental energy wasters you're going to let go of (and what to do instead): Agonizing over other people's choices Ruminating (yes, you can stop, I swear!) "Thinking" about things LINKS! THROUGH JAN 27 ONLY! Commit to 2025 goals YEAR-ROUND with Quarterly Private Coaching What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

We all love a good goal-setting sesh at New Year's, right? But are you setting the BEST goals? And are you setting yourself up to succeed or fail? There are 4 keys to setting goals you'll truly love achieving this year - Here they are! 0:00 Why the "How" Matters 2:12 Key #1 - Set and Specify 5:37 Key #2 - Don't Scale Down! 10:00 Key #3 - Take Action 12:26 Key #4 - Use Your Calendar LINKS! NEW! Commit to 2025 goals YEAR-ROUND with Quarterly Private Coaching What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

Want to know my biggest lessons (as a Decision Coach) this year? Here they are! And they can all help YOU too. From people-pleasing to defining success, from boundaries to self-trust - Starting next year with these lessons in mind will put you ahead of the game! 0:00 How to Find Your Year's Lessons 2:00 Lesson #1 - Boundaries 4:37 Lesson #2 - Go at Your Pace 8:30 Lesson #3 - Self-Trust 13:17 Lesson #4 - Savoring 15:15 Lesson #5 - Make it Your Own LINKS! NEW! Commit to 2025 goals YEAR-ROUND with Quarterly Private Coaching What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

Get ready to revisit this episode ANY time you need, friend. Too much to do with not enough time? Stressing about all of it? These are the questions to ask yourself! Make sure to listen to all 16 minutes to know how to use them best 'cause when you do, THEY WORK. What's the goal? Does this have to get done? (Right now / Today?) Do I have to be the one to do it? What would make it easier? What am I assuming? LINKS! NEW! Commit to 2025 goals YEAR-ROUND with Quarterly Private Coaching What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free no-strings consultation

Whether you're worried something will be hard, convinced it will be terrible, or just nervous about how it'll go... Deciding in advance is a skill you want! Visualization, confirmation bias and target fixation have powerful influence over what we experience in reality. And they ALL begin in our minds. This week, I'm teaching a skill I've used to help countless clients not only adopt a more positive, proactive and empowered mindset about something — they've actually used it to CREATE a better experience in the end. I'm deciding in advance my holiday travel AND my 2025 will both be great. Care to join me? LINKS! NEW! Commit to 2025 goals YEAR-ROUND with Quarterly Private Coaching What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to know your options for working together? Book your free consultation

Ever agonize over how people will react to what you say? Does the anticipation of people's reactions ever cause you to change what you share...or even what you do? I've worked with so many people who make inauthentic decisions because of this fear of what people will think of those choices. Today, I want to equip you to feel more empowered in these situations - so you can make the decisions you really want to (without waiting or agonizing for so long!). Listen in for the key to influencing how people react to your news, questions and ideas. LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation Join the Alignment and Accountability Club Hire me for two weeks to consciously, confidently work through a decision with the Make a Decision Package

Happy Thanksgiving, real-time listeners! Today, and going into the final season of the year, I want to give you two of the most accessible and life-changing tools in the Decision Mastery arsenal: "Inquiry" (aka "The Work" aka deflating stress) "Savoring" (aka emotionally & neurologically maximizing a good moment) Gratitude can be easy to dismiss as "a habit I never started and won't today, so....oh well" or "a mindset that doesn't come naturally so....meh." But the two angles on it we explore today — one coming from a stressful experience, one coming from a positive experience — are a new take. Listen in for these EASY, DOABLE ways to be instantly less stressed -or- more present for the good stuff happening around you. Enjoy! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation Join the Alignment and Accountability Club Hire me for two weeks to consciously, confidently work through a decision with the Make a Decision Package Byron Katie: The Work (or "Inquiry") Process Dr. Rick Hanson TEDx Talk: "Hardwiring Happiness"

Thinking through my recent BIG decision to move (which I made quickly with relatively little friction*), I realized I need to call out some BIG mistakes people can make in situations like these. *Note: "little friction" does not mean "zero emotions or stress"...those are normal human experiences and we're not selling snake oil here Here's what I didn't do, that I don't want you to either: I DIDN'T make "bad feelings" = bad things I DIDN'T try to make all the decisions at once I DIDN'T focus on what I didn't know And I DIDN'T try to keep the stakes low at any cost This episode will help you make your next big choice quickly and confidently. And if you're in the MIDDLE of a big decision, it'll help you figure out what's creating extra stress right now that you can change! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation Join the Alignment and Accountability Club Hire me for two weeks to consciously, confidently work through a decision with the Make a Decision Package

Meet the final two Cognitive Tendencies and Biases in our series! Perspective-Taking and Delayed Gratification.

Ok...we have a pretty good sense of Negativity Bias at the surface. Negative information has a greater impact than positive information, when it comes to cognitive processing. But do you know exactly how and why this is affecting your decision-making? Let's continue our series on Cognitive Biases, pulled from a workshop I ran with a previous Coaching Group, to dig into: The Framing Effect Loss Aversion The Endowment Effect LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation Join the Alignment and Accountability Club Hire me for two weeks to consciously, confidently work through a decision with the Make a Decision Package

How often do you assume you know WHY something happened? How quickly do you land on a conclusion about why something DIDN'T happen? Turns out, we humans are great at assigning "causes" to things. We're just not great at getting it right! In this quick episode, I clue you into the cognitive tendency of Causal Attribution, including where it comes from, how to spot it, and how to make conscious decisions in spite of it! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation Join the Alignment and Accountability Club Hire me for two weeks to consciously, confidently work through a decision with the Make a Decision Package

You might be familiar with Confirmation Bias. But do you know how to use it to your advantage? What about a quick, easy way to make sure you're not being blinded by it? I've got you covered in this episode.

We all want to make smart, thoughtful, "rational" decisions, right? But how do we do that when we're working with a biased brain? Today's episode is pulled from a Workshop I did for a Decision Masters Coaching Group, where we explored different cognitive biases and tendencies that impact our decision-making daily. You'll learn: How the Fluency Effect makes things seem easier than they are Why the Planning Fallacy might be to blame for you not getting all 27 things done during that "90-minute time block" And how to use the awareness of these biases to your advantage, so you can still remain a human (we don't "conquer" our own wiring!) but also make intentional choices and set yourself up for success LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation Join the Alignment and Accountability Club Hire me for two weeks with the Make a Decision Package

Ok. So there's a problem. Maybe someone's saying it's your fault. Or they're implying it. Or you're just assuming it. What do you do? Well, if you're like a lot of folks, you go into Auto-Wrong Mode. You question your right to have an opinion contrary to others...to implement a boundary...to say no to a request You assume you're wrong, you've created the problem, and now it's your job to fix it You lose sight of what you TRULY think, feel, want and need NOT ANYMORE, friend. I used to ask clients to consider another perspective ("What if this problem has 100% to do with them, and 0% to do with you?") but now - thanks to a brave, wise, empowered young woman - I have this gem of a question: What if this is an ish-YOU, not an ish-ME? Listen for how to free yourself from assuming you're in the wrong, and from taking responsibility for being "different" just so there isn't a problem anymore! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

The idea of deciding something "as an experiment" is appealing because it implies lower stakes and easier commitment, right? But how do you "experiment" with big life choices that you can't just undo if you change your mind? In this episode, I explain how you'll benefit from adopting the "Experiment Mindset" more -- and the most effective way to do it! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

How often do you set a goal - or create a plan to deal with a circumstance - only for it not to work perfectly and for you to end up feeling like a failure who "should've planned better"? Whether you wanted to "get X done in Y time" or you thought you had a good strategy to deal with "Z situation" - if you don't end up with results you like, you might judge or resent your plan! It's easy to look at "failed plans" in hindsight through major Judgment Goggles. But what's the alternative? This episode breaks down the KEY STEP to executing plans successfully: Assessment I show you the big mistake people make when they miss a target deadline, or get stuck in a plan for several more months than intended. And how to avoid it! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

Whether you're going through a big life change or you've simply experienced an internal "season shift," now is a great time to check in and update your Core Values. The best questions I can offer to make this easy are: What do I want influencing my choices right now? Three months from now, what will I be happy having done / tended do / avoided? In this episode, I walk you through my own conversation with myself (on a dog walk) during which I updated my Core Values — since I have a big move coming up and our family's starting a new chapter soon (with Kenny working out of town most of the year and me taking care of our 3 dogs and my business here!). I remind you of the guidelines of crafting your Core Values, and let you know how to get the most out of them. So you can make the best, most aligned, trustworthy choices going forward, and create the life you really want! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

Is that a problem? Or is it, in fact, the plan? This question sparked a huge aha for a client recently, and that's not the first time! When we'd LOVE everything to get done with perfection, it's difficult to fully commit to a plan that leaves things undone or only allows for things to be "good enough." So how do you fully commit to a plan, and execute it to success, when you don't totally love it? When you can't plan on getting everything done, exactly how you want, it's vital to be able to commit to what you CAN do. Otherwise, you risk second-guessing and judging yourself daily — which both limits and discounts your progress. Today's episode will help you get behind your plan — even if it includes putting something off 'til later, not spending as much time as you want to on something, and doing things "imperfectly"! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

Sometimes, you get to map everything out, take all the time you want and still create big, beautiful change. Other times — not so much. Life surprises you, and all of a sudden, you're facing multiple opportunities to make BIG DECISIONS. But how do you keep a clear head and trust your choices when things are moving fast, or you didn't plan for any of this!? Well, speaking from real-time experience right now...(in about 72 hours, Kenny and I made big moves including the decision that he'd go do a show for 5 months two states away and I'd move our 3 dogs and whole household elsewhere in L.A...and all of this is meant to happen within about a week!)... I'm sharing 6 tips that I'm employing: Tune into your feelings (hint: emotions drive decisions!) Clarify the decisions to be made Allow yourself to make one decision (and "solve one problem") at a time Ask for input strategically Do not obligate yourself to keep in touch, get back to people quickly or keep all the plans you made before big decision time Compartmentalize your schedule Ready to make big decisions to create BIG CHANGE quickly? Without excess guilt, stress or overwhelm? Let's do this! LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

Periods of transition and uncertainty can upend us. And when you're thrown out of your norms, it's easy to make impulsive decisions you don't really love later on, get super overwhelmed and end up drained, wondering why that had to be so hard. This episode will help you do the smallest (read: most doable) planning possible for these periods of time, so you can set yourself up for more success and much less chaos. Listen for: How to clarify your priorities during transitions (even if you have tons of questions) Why consciously "deprioritizing" things is so important How to anticipate your needs based on how you tend to respond to transitions and uncertainty LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

If you're in a period of overwhelm, or it looks like you could be soon, this episode is for YOU. I have 5 actionable, super practical things you can scan for and do to decrease the overwhelm you experience this week. In this episode, I walk you through: What to look for in your calendar How to edit your To Do List Ways to plan on recharging And the one tactic people are most likely to miss (#5) that will make the biggest difference (whether this overwhelm is temporary or feels "indefinite"!) You don't have to suffer overwhelm with no end in sight! These tactics will help you be more stingy with your resources so you can be more restored and get back to feeling like your fullest self. LINKS! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Ready to talk about getting clear, intentional & sure of your choices? Book your free consultation for a no-strings conversation about your goals and if this coaching is right for you!

Want to feel more confident, unlimited and authentic? Happier? More "like yourself"? Have you considered how your style impacts all of this? After today, you will! Closet Coach Kelsea Neal is here to reveal just how connected your mental & energetic states and your STYLE are. It turns out, after you weed out the bogus societal expectations and unnecessary judgments and assumptions, your style can be the key to ease, peace of mind and being fully on your own team. Listen in for: 3 Super Common Style Myths Busted A powerful new way to start responding to thoughts like "Ugh, my hips are too big." What your style is impacting that you might not even know (and definitely want to take advantage of!) Why "style" needs to factor into the changes you make after a big life change! The ONE easy thing to do today to start changing how you see yourself and liking how you feel when you get dressed Meet Kelsea Neal, Your Closet Coach! She brings her two decades of experience in the fashion industry to your closet to help you find your unique style and love getting dressed every day. True style isn't about chasing trends; it's about knowing what works for you and feeling confident in your choices. Kelsea will help you discover your authentic style and transform your wardrobe from “meh” to “WOW!”. Find her on Instagram @your.closetcoach and at her website your-closet-coach.com. LINKS! NEW! Decision Mastery Week is coming! Are you in? The 10-week Decision Masters Program is where you'll solidify decisive habits and make faster, more authentic choices for life: Book your free consultation! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free.

This conversation is for you if: You think of yourself as "creative" You absolutely do NOT think of yourself as "creative" You've struggled with the confidence to try something new You've changed careers and hesitated to own your new identity You'd love to create more novelty in your life Paige Ray and I get into it, y'all! Some highlights: "Don't let other people's doubt and projections decide what you do with your life because it'll go by faster than you think and — here's hoping you did what you wanted to do!" "Every act of imagination is a creative act...I can't think of anything more creative than making a decision because it requires you to use your imagination on the different paths that you can go down...Being creative is really sitting down and being willing to picture a different world or a different moment." "If you're ever worried about what other people think, or 'am I gonna flop on this,'...you might not have decided yet that you are simply the authority figure for your own life."

Welcome to “I'll Think About It” Part 3

Welcome to “I'll Think About It” Part 2

Welcome to "I'll Think About It" Part 1! What keeps you from making a decision quickly — like, on the spot? When faced with a choice, a very natural default can be to "need to think about it, and decide later." But how often is this a conscious decision to delay vs. a unconscious habit — and how often is that habit COSTING you time, energy and vital (life-changing) opportunities? In this series, we're breaking down the decision-making paradigm that you should always think about it and decide later. Today's episode gets into: The 3 keys to deciding quickly The 1 question you need to break this habit I'll empower you to make more decisions NOW — decreasing your mental load and making things happen faster! LINKS! NEW! Decision Mastery Week is coming! Are you in? The 10-week Decision Masters Program is where you'll solidify decisive habits and make faster, more authentic choices for life: Book your free consultation! What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free.

Where do the expectations you set for "what you should be able to do" in a day or week or month come from? I bring news! If you've: Been overscheduling yourself lately Or crossing off 1/10th of your To Do List every day for the past year Or find yourself constantly disappointed in today's performance because "back in the day" you could do things faster ...Or worse: Sheryl over there is coping just fine, so why are you struggling?... You might be suffering from "Realistic Expectation Syndrome," which is a condition I just made up but is completely real. Too often, we idealize our capacity and capability to the point that our plans (and To Do Lists) would only be achievable by 6-armed superhumans who don't require sleep. Be honest: How many times have you looked at tomorrow's jam-packed schedule and said, "Well, if I focused enough or had the right energy, I should realistically be able to do all this"...? That right there is why today, we're differentiating "realistic" from HONEST. In the episode, I explain why adopting the latter perspective will not, as you fear, doom you to utter failure and ruin — and why it is, in fact, the KEY to being able to ramp up your productivity and focus when you need to! LINKS! NEW! Decision Mastery Week is coming! Are you in? What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to work together? Book your free consultation!

It seems like the more adulting we do, the harder it gets for FUN to be an effortless part of everyday life. But when you think about "fun" being a choice available to you - kind of all the time - that can change. Especially when "fun" doesn't have to mean what it might have for the past few years. (What comes to mind? Vacations? Day trips? Isolated periods of time that are separate from "regular life"?) Today I invite you to consider the kind of person you want to be and the kind of life you want to have. Where does FUN fit into that? With your answer, you'll learn how to make the decision to have fun more often - even in boring meetings! - and you'll understand the value and impact that will have on the life you create! LINKS! NEW! Decision Mastery Week is coming! Are you in? What's your DECISION STYLE? Take the Quiz! Need to say NO? Here's your 11-minute Crash Course on Saying NO Guilt-Free. Want to work together? Book your free consultation!