What do you do when you’re not sure about a decision?

If you’re like me, you debate it endlessly in your own mind. You go over the pros and cons. You try very hard to figure out what the best choice might be.

But all of this striving is exhausting. And often, we expend so much effort trying to make the “perfect” decision that we don’t make a choice at all. 

delaying decisions

We stall out. We procrastinate. We live in what coach Brooke Castillo calls “decision debt.” This is a brilliant phrase to describe what it feels like when we have unmade decisions hanging over our heads.

She says that unmade decisions drain our energy and wear us out, while making decisions energizes us.

So true, right? All the choices we procrastinate on — Do I keep this book or donate it? Do I accept this offer or politely decline? — are depleting our energy.

So today, stop the energy drain of delaying decisions.

Pick one small choice you’ve delayed, and give yourself 5 seconds to decide. 

Are you going to that party – yes or no?
Are you recycling that box or keeping it?
Are you rescheduling that appointment?

The small choices empower you for the big ones:

Am I moving to a new house?
Am I letting go of that friendship?
Am I committed to that audacious goal?

Delaying Decisions Or Choosing Wholeheartedly?

You’ll be surprised by what a powerful effect decisions have on your energy and your well-being. You’ll be surprised how much more you have to give when you’re not divided against yourself.

That’s what my friend Walton taught me. He showed me that while halfheartedness doesn’t reach into majesty, wholeheartedness does.

As a speaker, I’ve given two TEDx talks with a collective view count of over 20,000. I’ve been paid to fly across the country for keynotes.

But the talk I’m most proud of is this one. And you know why? Because the entire process – from accepting the invitation to writing the talk to delivering it last year – was a clear, decisive, wholehearted yes.

delaying decisions, Heart of L'Arche talk

I’m also sharing this talk with you today because it reminds me of the core message of Easter: that death isn’t the end of the story.

That life is bigger and wilder than we ever dreamed.

That real love endures forever.

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