Want to Make Decisions More Easily? Hit Delete.
When I write, I edit as I go. Copying, pasting, moving things around, and deleting words and phrases in favor of other ones that are more descript. The delete button is often associated with erasing and correcting mistakes. But I like to think of it as my companion in helping me express myself and get my ideas, thoughts, advice, and vision out into the world. This is a subtle, yet important distinction.
Too often, we are bombarded with messages in our lives that something is wrong, we’ve made a mistake, or that we must change something in order to be (fill in the blank: happier, more fulfilled, sexier, more attractive, healthier, and the list goes on). It can be overwhelming with all these seemingly negative messages.
But there are times when just shifting our perspective, the subtle distinction, can make all the difference.
What if hitting the delete button was about:
- Changing our minds, or
- Deepening our expression, or
- Owning our value, or
- Saying no to something that doesn’t really work, or
- Being brave and vulnerable, or
- All of the above?
What if hitting the delete button applied to more than just writing? To things like:
- Walking away from a bad situation
- Getting out of an unfulfilling relationship
- Apologizing for something we said or did
- Changing our career
- Improving our health
- Following our passion
You see, when we look at any situation knowing that we can DELETE what we don’t like…or change it…it takes a lot of the pressure off. What pressure, you may ask? The pressure to be perfect, to make the “right” decision.
I know firsthand that the pressure to “get it right” (and even to get it right the first time out the gate) can be paralyzing. It can make it difficult to move forward, to take that first step. It can bring up thoughts of “why even bother” or “I need to get all these others things done before I can do this.”
In other words, living life as if there is no delete button SUCKS!
What if every time you think “I can’t do it” you could just DELETE and shift to “I can do it despite my fear?”
And whenever you think “It’s got to be perfect” you could just DELETE and shift to “I am going to do this one step and if I need to, I can change it?”
And when you get caught up in “what if I make the wrong decision” you could just DELETE and say “there are no wrong decisions only subtle distinctions to be made in how I look at this?”
How different would life be if you could DELETE the thoughts that do not serve you and shift your perspective?
I wonder…
So next time you get caught up in things needing to be a certain way, remember:
- DELETE that thought
- Shift the way you look at the situation
- You can make any changes, or course corrections you need to at any point in the process
- No matter what happens, you will be okay
How will you use your delete button? Leave a comment below to share!
