Issue #27 - How to make Intentional Decisions 🤔

Making decisions can be one of the most challenging things we do in life. We often feel overwhelmed by the choices before us and unable to determine which option is best.

Feb 17

Welcome to the 27th issue of 5 Minute Friday from The Backpack CPA! Every Friday I share a short newsletter with tips & resources to help you with your professional & personal growth & development!

Let's start "GROWING" through our human journey instead of just "GOING" through it!

First a few words from a wise person…

“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” - Roy E. Disney

How to make Intentional Decisions 🤔

Making decisions can be one of the most challenging things we do in life. We often feel overwhelmed by the choices before us and are unable to determine which option is best. Making intentional decisions is the surest way to set yourself up for success. We all want success in life, but it's not always easy to know how to get there. Intentional decision-making can be a powerful tool that helps us focus on our goals and achieve them. Let’s look at some of the key elements of intentional decision-making and what you can do to make sure you're making decisions that will lead you toward success.

Set Goals & Know Your Values and Sources of Inspiration
The first step in making intentional decisions is to define what success looks like for you. What are your long-term goals? How will you measure success?

To help you determine your goals you need to also identify your values. What matters most to you? What do you prioritize? Knowing what you value can help guide your decision-making process, so take some time to figure out what those values are and write them down somewhere you can refer back to them later on.

In addition to knowing your values, you also need to identify the things that drive you. What motivates or inspires you? Knowing & understanding yourself well helps ensure that any decision made is based on knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses, rather than just a guess as to what might be best.

Once you have identified your goals based on your values and sources of inspiration, it will be much easier to make decisions that are aligned with your vision of success and your strengths and weaknesses.

Make Time for Reflection
The second step in making an intentional decision is taking some time for reflection. Ask yourself questions like “What will I gain from this decision?” and “What could I lose from this decision?” This practice helps us understand our motivations and feelings about each possible choice, which makes it easier to decide which option is best for us.

Be Patient - It's important to remember that even when making intentional decisions, results won't happen overnight. Every decision has consequences, some good and some bad, and it may take time before the effects of any particular decision become clear. This means having patience with yourself and being willing to learn from each experience regardless of whether it turns out positively or negatively.

Listen to Your Gut
Finally, the last step in making an intentional decision is listening to your gut instinct—sometimes referred to as intuition or inner wisdom. This isn’t about following whims or ignoring logic; rather, it’s about recognizing that our subconscious minds often have more wisdom than our conscious ones when it comes to important decisions. If something feels off or right about a situation or potential choice, pay attention—it might be your gut trying to tell you something!

Making intentional decisions can sometimes seem overwhelming but with practice, it gets easier over time. With these steps in mind—knowing your values, taking time for reflection, and listening to your gut—you can make more informed and meaningful decisions that will create a happier life for yourself and those around you! Try it out today and see what a difference it makes!

P.S. I’ll be presenting A FREE WEBINAR! Would love for you to check it out!

Hosted by The Grove powered by Liscio titled “Mindfulness for The Busy Professional” on February 22, 2023, at 12 PM PST | 2 PM CST | 3 PM EST

Webinar Details & Registration Link

📗💡 Learning/Tools

Good Posture Trick 🐒

Good posture is incredibly important! It has wide-reaching effects on your physical and mental health. When we sit for long periods of time we tend to end up sitting in an awkward hunched-over position which can often make us lazy or even experience certain pains and problems in our body.

From a physical standpoint, good posture helps reduce the risks of developing certain conditions like back pain, hip pain, knee pain, shoulder problems & headaches. Posture also helps with our overall balance and stability – allowing us to move more efficiently through everyday tasks without overexertion or injury. Good posture actually increases productivity levels throughout the day too!

I recently came across a simple, yet effective method to help you make yourself sit up straighter when you’re sitting down. It’s called the “zip yourself up method.” Here’s a demo video of how to do it:

So there we have it - why posture is so important! Not only does improving one’s postural habits provide awesome physical benefits - but it can also dramatically affect mood & confidence levels plus lead to increased productivity at work as well.

5 Minute Friday - by The Backpack CPA!

Issue #27 - How to make Intentional Decisions 🤔

Making decisions can be one of the most challenging things we do in life. We often feel overwhelmed by the choices before us and unable to determine which option is best.

How to make Intentional Decisions 🤔

📗💡 Learning/Tools

Good Posture Trick 🐒