Shannon Experiment #3: Shoot from the hip! Be decisive!

Each week, Shannon or Kerri picks an ArtistCEO experiment to undertake for 5 days and reports back to our email list. Sign up now to get the latest.

The experiment:

This experiment was basically to counterbalance my other experiment of taking time, giving myself spaciousness, not forcing productivity or decisions (you can read that here).

For this week, I was curious what would happen if I made myself make a snap decision even when I didn’t feel ready.

Below is the video where I announced the experiment at the beginning of the week - or skip down to see what I learned below!

What I did each day:

Monday - Sunday

This week was a blur so I’m gonna lump it altogether. Because the learning came from not what I did each specific day, but rather, the contrast of the days against each other.

I had a huge decision to make at the beginning of the week, so I forced myself to make it--except that, once I did so, I had extreme resistance to the decision I made. Not because I thought it was the wrong decision-but because I knew there were still considerations I had to address that would allow me to fully move forward without doubt.

So I quickly decided to make decisions about *those* considerations — in other words: make the decisions that felt good to make.

Soon the practice emerged: it was an about making decisions recklessly; nor was it about making as many decisions as I possibly could. Instead, it was about getting clarity on which decisions we’re ready to be made and which were still gestating.

I became aware of the kinds of decisions I tend to procrastinate on; and the kinds of decisions I tend to push into action, even when I’m not ready.

What I learned:

Thus, I found that True decisiveness is about knowing what’s even ready to be decided. Check in with your gut and ask “if I’m honest with myself, do I know what to do here?”

If the answer is no: don’t push it. Wait for more information. Revisit tomorrow.

And if the answer is yes: then go do it. Wait no longer. Decide, trust it, and be done.

That’s how to be a Decision Warrior.