Four Steps Auto Repair Shop Owners Take Toward Sound Decisions

Decisions by Rick White, President 180BIZ

I want to talk about your decisions.  Specifically, four important things. One of them I was dealing with, myself.

• First, when it comes to making a decision, MAKE ONE. When you're approaching two paths you can go down, until you decide on which path to go you're stuck. Which way should I go? This is where indecision kills you. It kills momentum. When you feel like you're taking one step forward and to step back. Make a decision. Don't worry about being the wrong one, make the best choice you possibly can with the information that you have. So, that's number one.
• The second thing NEVER MAKE A DECISION EMOTIONALLY. Whenever you make a decision emotionally, it's not really a decision. It's a reaction. So, you want to step back away from the emotion. There's this great book called Peaks and Valleys. And I think it's by Ken Blanchard. The one thing that I learned from the book that still resonates with me is never to make a decision in a valley because it's always going to be emotional and you will always regret it.
• TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION. Start moving. And we're going to talk to you about the 10 steps in the decision-making process. Make the decision and make sure you're doing it logically.
  1. Stop and think about the issue. Step back. Think about the issue.
  2. Look for the facts.
  3. Do a gut check. That doesn't mean your guts going to tell you what to do, but you definitely want to listen to your gut.
  4. Then you're going to develop options. Listen, if all you see is one option, that's a panic. If there are two options, that's a dilemma. It's not until you have three options where you have a choice. So, make sure you work up at least three options.
  5. Then you want to consider the alignment. When I say consider alignment, look at your different options. Because some of the options that come up in your brainstorming, they're not going to resonate with who you are, what your values are, who you think you are, your identity. So, you want to make sure your options align with your values and your beliefs.
  6. Consider the consequences, weigh each one. Now there's very rarely going to be one with all upside and no downside. Every one of them is going to have some possible repercussions and consequences. Realize what they are to the best of your ability.
  7. Create a ruler so that you can measure how you're doing and then immediately take action. Never leave the site of a decision without taking action on that decision. It reinforces the decision and starts the momentum. Read the Five Second Rule by Mel Robbins.  What's going to happen is you're going to make a decision. If you don't take action immediately, your brain is going to kick in and start doubting and making you second guess yourself. 
  8. Then monitor and modify.

That's all there is. I don't expect you to make a choice and have it be the exact choice without having to do anything, to modify it, to make it fit your needs. Everybody's got to go through this process. And what gets us stuck here is we're looking for the perfect solution and we're not doing anything until we can think we find it. You get stuck in learning mode.  Follow these steps. They're going to make all the difference in the world

• Now, one last thing. This is the one I was struggling with. I tend to make the same decision over and over and over and over again. So, MAKE A DECISION ONCE and walk away. Follow that process, make the decision once and walk away. Here's why many people don’t walk away. The decision made sense, but now they don't feel like following through. Don’t ever let your feelings dictate your actions. Your feelings are there so that you understand how you're interpreting yourself in the world. Do not let your feelings dictate the actions you take.

That's one of my weak spots. And I am really working on this because what happens is if I make a decision and I start moving forward, and then I come back to that decision point again, where it really shouldn't be a decision point. It should be a path. I made a rule to myself. I'm really working on losing some weight and getting healthy.  And I made a decision that I'm going to start eating at nine and stop at five. And it's really easy to make that decision. It makes sense. Then would come home at 5:30 and I would start making deals with myself that it's okay to eat tonight because I'm hungry. And I worked hard and I did this. I'm coming back to my decision over and over again.

You can't do that. So what am I telling you to do? Make a decision. That's the first thing, right? Make it logically, make it one time and move right after that decision, start making your decisions like this, make a decision with the best information you have, make it logically follow the 10 steps that I outlined for you.  It seems like a lot of work, but I'm telling you you'll be able to do it in less than five minutes. Then for some of our decisions, they deserve that amount of some of our decisions. It shouldn't be knee jerk reactions. We should be able to respect the decision enough to put some thought into it and that's okay. So, make a decision and do it logically. Do it one time. Once you make that decision, it's no longer up for grabs. Remember, decide means to cut off from.  And then take action.