"Don't Look Back"

If you're a person, like I once was, who has a hard time making a decision, then you are probably aware of the time and energy you spend in the process. Changing indecisiveness is a very difficult job, particularly if it is deeply ingrained into the fabric of your life, (like cotton..haha). But indecisiveness is learned, and therefore it can be unlearned. It will, however, take tough choices and regular practice before decisive decision making comes easily.

Ask yourself:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how decisive are you?
How long did it take you to answer that question? hahahaha


Major decisions still need major consideration, but wisdom lies in recognizing which decisions are minor and can be decided quickly.

Once a decision is made, you may still second-guess it. That's a problem for many, which produces major anxiety. They live their lives in the land of "should haves" and "could haves." This is an incredible waste of time and energy, since most decisions cannot be undone. It's best to live with your decision -- or learn from it and use that knowledge to make a better choice next time.

Try practicing telling yourself one or more of the following phrases.

1. "What's the worst that can happen?"
This is especially helpful for small decisions. When you're agonizing over whether you should go to a meeting or whatever, because you're feeling especially run-down, ask yourself, "What's the worst that will happen if I miss that meeting tonight?"


2. "I made the best decision I could with the information I had at the time. Whatever outcome, I'll make the most of it."
This applies to major decisions, which can be subject to major second-guessing. Practice this phrase for yourself. It really works! Whether the decision is big or small, we can only deal with the knowledge we have at the time. Hindsight might tell us more about what we might have done, but don't worry about hindsight. That's a no-win situation!! We can't look back. We must learn and look forward!
Many have agonized over the decisions involved in buying a house. These choices can cost or save thousands of dollars. Should you lock in at a certain interest rate? Or should you wait in case the rates go down? Of course, the experts disagree on the direction of rates, so you can constantly agonize over this. But what's the worst that can happen? Well, a wrong choice would mean a higher mortgage payment each month. If that thought isn't very comforting, try this phrase: "I made the best decision I could. Once the decision is made, there's no sense in looking back."

3. "God is still in control, life still goes on, and I can adjust to whatever happens."
This is another comforting phrase that we should practice often!! God never wakes up and says, "Oh no! Look at what happened while I wasn't paying attention!"
As Christians, we can trust that God is in control of our lives. Yes, we make mistakes, but God is still in control. As long as our attitude is one of submission to him, there is really nothing for us to fear.

Hopefully you can, and will, take the gist of one of those phrases above and put it in your own words. Or make up a whole new pep talk, to keep yourself from wasteful second-guessing of the decisions you' ve already made.