When I coach people who feel like their future is either too uncertain or too wide open to make their next decision, it’s amazing how much saying one ‘yes’ can help other things fall into place.
I suspect it happens for two reasons:
- The domino effect. The one yes gives you a starting point. It often sounds like this: “If we’re doing xyz, then that means I need to figure out a, then b, then c in order to make xyz work.” The first yes sets others in motion.
- The power of decisiveness. Waffling in indecision leaks energy, as it pulls us in multiple directions at once. In contrast, being decisive is positively contagious — making one call strengthens our conviction to make the next few decisions as well. It builds momentum to move in a particular direction.
If you are in a foggy patch, is there one thing you could say “yes” to? It doesn’t have to be the best thing, the right thing or the most important thing. Sometimes you just need a decided thing.
