Just Make Up Your Mind! 7 Fun Ways To Make Decisions

Have a client who can't make up their mind? Well, whether it's too much information, choice or analysis these fun ideas provide tips to help (you or!) your client make a decision - and move forwards.

7 Fun Ways to Make Decisions Simpler:

1. FORTUNE-TELLING: Get your clients to imagine a fortune cookie (use all 5 senses if you like!)  Now get them to imagine that the answer they need is on the slip inside. Ask them to crack it open - and then take a look. What does it say? (If it's blank - ask them to imagine waving a magic wand and then that words BEGIN to materialize).
2. STOP THINKING! Where the impact of their choice has no major impacts - ask your client to stop thinking - and just pick! Get them to throw an answer out - act on it and see what happens…
3. GET SMALL! Sometimes there is no substitute for experience. So if they think they know the answer but are hesitant, help them just start - small! Instead of analyzing and over-thinking, they're making the decision and moving forwards slowly with the smallest actions they can think of - until they feel confident enough to go bigger!
4. STOP THE CLOCK! When your client insists on knowing more, set a time-limit. Ask how much time they're willing to spend researching and thinking about it. Then, when the time is up - they must let go and DECIDE. There will always be a better deal, a better answer somewhere - what is their time worth?
5. LUCK RULES: Let go and let luck decide! Ask your client to write down their options, close their eyes, point their finger and see where it lands! This is a fun one to try out in a restaurant when looking at the menu. And it's also great because it can force a genuine deep-seated response. They will either be pleased with their random choice, or wish they had one of the other choices - in which case there's the answer they were looking for. This can also be done by flipping a coin.
6. AGE APPROPRIATE: Ask your client to imagine they're 5, 25, 50 and then 75 years old. What would they decide at each age-point? Even if the decision isn't relevant to a 5 or 75 year old, ask them to imagine what wisdom or recommendation they WOULD make at that age. Then, once this exercise is completed review the responses. How does that inform their decision making?
7. NO CONSEQUENCES! Imagine there are NO negative consequences - everything goes swimmingly, everyone supports and is happy for them, no-one is upset or hurt, in short - all is well. What would they decide now?

So, next time (you or) your client is struggling to make a decision, why not try one of these tips and see what happens!

If you liked this article about decision making ideas, you may also like:

• Fun, Fast and Furious Decision Making Exercise!
• Getting Your Clients Moving - Why 'Black & White' Thinking May be Keeping Keep Them Stuck!
• 15 Ways to Turn I Don't Know into an Aha Moment!
• Our coaching tool: Expand Your Mind - Cartesian Questions to help your clients understand the consequences of any decision more fully!

Contributing Author:

Emma-Louise Elsey has been coaching since 2003 and is the Founder of The Coaching Tools Company and Fierce Kindness.com. She's passionate about coaching and personal development. Originally a project and relationship manager for Fortune 500 companies she combined her love of coaching, creativity and systems to create over 100 brandable coaching tools, forms and exercises including 30+ completely free coaching tools. She now serves coaches and the coaching world through her exclusive newsletter for coaches, Coaches Helping Coaches Facebook Group and many other great tools for coaches, plus resources and ideas for your coaching toolbox. The Coaching Tools Company is an official ICF Business Solutions Partner.

Learn more about Emma-Louise & see all their articles here >>