Deal or No Deal?

[Jenifer Madson]

I recently found myself somewhat tortured over the details of a new business venture and was letting my uncertainty get in the way of making a decision. I had been approaching the deal from a surprisingly black and white perspective, which is not in character for me, and was feeling increasingly anxious as a result.

Since high anxiety is no longer a comfortable state for me, I decided it was time to get some perspective from someone so removed from my situation that I knew I'd be getting an objective point of view.

Sure enough, in talking to this person about it, I was able to see how 'either/or' I had become in my thinking, getting stuck in the fear that if I didn't take this opportunity as it was presented that I would lose...what?

There was the sticking point. I had an imagined, undefined loss scenario playing somewhere behind the scenes, that I had to drag out and name before I could take action with it. Once identified, I too became more objective about what I wanted to do, say, or ask to get resolution on the matter, including a thorough appraisal of what I stood to gain from being a part of the deal.

Take A Minute:
Is unnamed fear keeping you from making important financial decisions?

Make A Minute:
Find an objective, third-party, person to present your scenario to. Frame the conversation ahead of time by asking them to freely give whatever ideas or feedback arise from what you share. After the conversation, take time alone to let the information settle into next steps that you can feel great about.

It is natural as humans to fear we won't get something we want, or that we'll lose something we have, but don't let those fears stand in the way of being on your path to discovery.