The 24-Hour Rule

 

I have been lucky enough to have some new opportunities come my way.  I was obviously pretty excited about each of them.  My first impulse was to just say yes immediately.   If these were things that I had been working towards, then saying yes would have been absolutely the right thing to do.  But these opportunities came out of the blue.  How do I decide whether or not to take them?

I have a rule that I use when debating about a new opportunity to see if it the right thing for me.   I call it the 24-hour rule.  No, it isn’t because I can’t make decisions.  It is much more about whether this new opportunity will take the focus away from what I am doing now.

Here are some key questions that I ask myself:

1. Will this opportunity help to propel me forward to where I want to go or distract me?

2. Do I have time to take on this new opportunity now?

3. If I do it, how will I manage this new opportunity alongside my other priorities?

4. Does the opportunity provide benefits that will help me?

5. Is this a short-term or a long-term opportunity?

6. Will I still have the flexibility in my life that I want?

I go through these questions and listen to my gut.  So far it has not steered me wrong.  I just know after thinking about these questions whether it is the right thing for me to go forward with it.

If you have a big decision to make, take some time to think about it.   Don’t feel pressured to answer immediately or give in to the fear of missing out.  When you say no to something, it may mean that there is something coming soon that you will want to say yes to and that will be even better.

Feel free to comment below and let me know how these questions work for you when you have a big decision to make.  If I can help as you are working through any big challenges or decisions, please free to reach out to me and set up some time.  http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/