Marc Stamos

For most of my life, I have been a (over)thinker.

Now, decision making is easy. I simply ask my self:

Will xyz decision help fulfill my mission and create the life I want to lead?

If yes, I do it. If not, I don’t. Period.

Anything else is wasted effort.

I have analyzed thousands of decisions per day, from the trivial: “Should I wash the dishes now?” to the serious: “Should I walk away from a lucrative, ’secure’ career.”

In the end, I figure my batting average was at best .500. All that thinking, contemplating, analyzing from endless angles and perspectives, and I’ve maybe been as successful “considering all aspects” as I would have been had I simply flipped a coin.

This started to changed about 5 years ago, when I made a pledge to myself to base my decisions on what would lead to my long term happiness and well being. Regardless of short-term challenges/consequences.

I’ve recently refined this. After wrestling with a couple of key decisions in my personal and professional lives, I realized…decision making is truly easy when one knows what they want and where they are headed.

The effects have been amazing. Much less spinning wheels, much more enjoyment of decisions. Less second guessing, more time enjoying the life I’m creating for myself.

Is this easy? Do I fall off the wagon? Do I still lie in bed with the hamsters spinning in hyperdrive? Of course. Thirty-three years of doing things one way aren’t undone overnight. But I’m getting much better at catching the analysis paralysis. And I’m enjoying my sleep much more once I do.