Yes, no, absolutely, of course not, maybe?

What’s the most important decision you have had to make lately?

Mine was to whether to have our dog Nelson neutered or not.

He is an 8 stone deaf American bulldog only 14 months old so still a puppy. He is very boisterous and really playful but has had a couple of scraps lately with other alpha males, so rather than risk a potential serious fight with another male dog we made the decision that we had to remove his crown jewels. And also, Doggy Day care will not take a dog who still has a pair.

It was with great sadness that we decided to take him to the vets and have the operation (I know all the lads reading this are crossing their legs and wincing, sorry)

We have to make tough decisions every day and sometimes the hardest decisions we make are often the right ones. Whether it’s to let go of an underperforming employee, an unsupportive partner, stop being friends with someone you really have nothing in common with anymore or when to put down your elderly cat.

Emotional attachment makes decision making hard, so when a partner is involved or a beloved pet it is very difficult to make that decision quickly. Family members, elderly parents, kids? My heart goes out to parents who have to make those type of decisions for their children or their parents.

Research has shown that we make about 2,000 decisions every waking hour. Most are simple, what to wear, (shall I wear heels or not to the Beauty show next week?!), what to have for lunch and when to eat it. These we make instinctively or automatically but many decisions take real thought and can have a number of consequences. This makes decision making an important part of our process, especially at work.

The choices we make affect our health, our safety, our relationships and how we spend our time.

Decision making is a leadership skill. The best Managers make decisions clearly and fairly. Bad leaders are indecisive and do not inspire confidence in their team. I have worked for both.

On my recent weekend on my Psycho Hypnotherapy course, I worked with a girl who was so indecisive with the decisions that she makes that she doesn’t sleep at night. Stuff goes round and round in her head. (A bit like when my laptop is not working and the washing machine symbol appears) Overthinks to the max. When she finally makes a decision, she then worries about whether it was the right decision to make or not. It causes her stress and anxiety every day. I could see the pain that goes on inside… must be an awful thing to experience.

I know I am guilty of making decisions too quickly and at times I have regretted it. Not about Nelson, that was the right thing to do but loads of other stuff. I have endless crap that I’ve bought and do not use. A £500 crystal ceiling light still in its box because it came from China and you have to put all the crystal drops together by hand FFS, A pair of 5″ heels that I cant walk in, Yoga pants with silver wings on the calf, a fake LV suitcase, the list is endless. A bit like the conveyor belt on the generation game, a load of pants.

Business decisions, I have owned three yoga studios, a Power Plate studio and a couple of shoe shops. Some were amazing, some not so good. I went to India every year for several years and used to buy stuff to sell in my Yoga Studio and the Yoga shows. The worst decision I made was to order 2,000 Yoga mats from China with an OM printed on it, multiple colours, 4mm thick and only a couple of quid each. RRP £20 so a great profit margin, only sold 7 at the Yoga show, ouch. Ended up selling them wholesale for £5 so not too bad in the end.

So maybe sometimes, it’s not a bad thing to think a little more about the decisions we make and how they are going to impact the people around us (and your savings). Be mindful of others and do not make important decisions without thinking them through.

The choices we make now, shape our lives and pave the way for our future. Wisdom is a gift.

Namaste