"In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing." Theodore Roosevelt

As I wandered a parking lot scanning for my car I realized the quality of my decision making skills shrunk drastically in the midst of chaos. We make hundreds of decisions daily, the heartbeats of our lives. They make or break us. The schedule is packed, the pressure is on, and we maintain our responsibilities at whatever cost. Are we making good decisions? Those that make a huge positive impact in how we feel about who we are, how we spend time, the growth of our businesses/ careers, and the difference we make in the world. ? If you wonder how to change life positively and continue to be unlimited even when you are in overdrive, here are 5 tips to improve your decision making skills while in the midst of chaos.

Stay present~ When busy the mind tends to move ahead of your body, as in the example above. This is where things get misplaced and forgotten, accidents and misunderstandings occur, confusion sets in, and time gets wasted. Bring your mind to the present moment. Stay focused on what you want to complete right now. Focus one step at a time.

Explore Your Choices~ Consider all of your choices. If you can not see choices, ask others what they see for you. To discover the right answer ask your self introspective questions to get clear. Here are some of my favorites from Debbie Ford’s wonderful little book The Right Questions:

"~ Will this choice propel me toward an inspiring future or will it keep me stuck in the past?
~ Will this choice bring me long-term fulfillment or will it bring me short-term gratification?
~ Am I standing in my power or am I trying to please another?"

Listen to Your Intuition~ Is this decision ego or soul driven? Is it coming from the head or the heart? This is raising your level of consciousness and shifting from being in control to a place of trust. Stop the analytical chatter in your mind long enough to get the message and you just may find intuition is never wrong.

Rejuvenate~ Stop, be still, breathe, listen, be at peace, and rejuvenate. Principle 2 in the book The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, explains that, “Because energy capacity diminishes both with overuse and with underuse, we must balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal.” Make decisions from a place of renewal instead of being drained.

Act Boldly on the Important Stuff First~ When you discover the right choice follow up with bold action trusting that you have everything within you to handle whatever the outcome. The right choices are not always the easiest. Martin Luther King’s right answer took guts. Oprah’s decision to take “the high road” took guts. Know you are capable of so much more.

Imagine the transformation in your life and business if you take a moment to consciously upgrade your decisions. Try it, and let me know how it works out for you!

Copyright 2005 © Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved. Revised 2007.

Beth Tabak of www.StartingNowCoaching.com is 100% committed to small business coaching & personal life coaching. She is also a speaker and columnist. Beth coaches big thinkers to be unlimited, stand out in the crowd, and experience the vastness of their capabilities. Stop by to see what all is available to you and say "hello".