You probably know by now that I’m addicted to podcasts (see here and here if not), and one where I get some of my favorite advice is Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast. For those of you that don’t know, Jenna is a successful creative entrepreneur and her advice is killer – whether focusing on business, productivity, or life hacks. But her episode that I think about daily? How Being Decisive Leads to More Success.

I’m not indecisive in every aspect of my life, but I definitely overthink decisions. After listening to this episode, though, I can absolutely say I’ve become more decisive. I’ve been using her suggestions daily to make decisions – from what to eat to career choices – and they’re soooo helpful. Here’s what she suggests for making better decisions and how to use each tip:

1. Get really clear on your big picture

Jenna suggests thinking about your life vision (something I hadn’t actually done!). Basically, once you know how you want to feel or what you want to accomplish (whether it’s this year or in your life), it’s a lot easier to make a decision. All you have to do is take X decision and compare it to your vision. If it fits within it, it’s a yes. If it takes away from it, it’s a no.

For example, if you know your vision includes family time on the weekends, it’s a lot easier to say no to work that takes you away on a Saturday or Sunday. Or if you want a strong body for life, you know you need to workout X days a week – no question.

Take time to think about what you want your life to look like – from the big picture of the next 30 years to the small picture of what that means each day. Write it down and come back to it often. Then simply base decisions on whether they sync with that picture or not.

2. Create a list

This is my favorite step. It’s kind of black + white but that’s why it’s so helpful for taking the questioning out of questions.

Here’s what Jenna says about it:

Take a piece of paper, divide it down the middle and have a YES side and a NO side. Think of the past 6 months: what did you commit to that excited you, that moved you closer to that bigger vision and then think about the things that you said “yes” to that you dreaded, that sucked your energy, that held you back or distracted you from the bigger work?

I did this and I actually keep the list on my phone so that I can add to it whenever I make a decision that feels great or shitty. The list may change as you change, but it’s a nice structured way of thinking of your decisions. And obviously not everything is so black and white, but you’d be surprised how many things you can quickly commit to or eliminate with this list.

3. Decide and move on

Not much to say here but another great tip from this show. Once you follow the first two steps, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to make decisions to begin with, so hopefully, this part comes naturally. But essentially, don’t lose sleep over whatever you decided. If you chose to eat a cheeseburger, don’t beat yourself up about making an unhealthy decision. If you committed to your friend’s party because you know it’s going to mean the world to her, show up and enjoy!

If this step is hard for you emotionally, Jenna also has further tips for leaving emotions out of decisions which you can read or listen to here.

Are you a decisive or indecisive person? If the latter, let me know if these tips help!