Every other day, it seems we are given new ‘authoritative’ advice on social distancing, masks, what’s safe, and what isn’t. Much of the news to which we’re exposed contradicts what we were already told.

The CDC and some top officials, who shall remain nameless, have done a less-than-stellar job of providing reliable public information. Some governors in large population states, have been inconsistent, partial, duplicitous, authoritarian, and – in some cases – criminal.

Who Can I Turn to?

Against such a backdrop, how do John and Jane Q. Citizen move forward professionally and personally? This is not foolproof but works as well as anything we’ve seen: Trust yourself and your decisions.

Trusting yourself enhances your ability to choose based on limited or inconsistent information. A study in the 1940s of highly successful people uniformly found that they reached decisions quickly and retreated from them slowly.

A more recent study found when people make decisions based on instinct, they are happier or at least more content than those who make decisions based on careful analysis. Hmm. Too much thinking could be hazardous to your choices – and to your happiness!

Reinforcing Statements

Here is the statement that reinforces your desire to trust yourself: “I choose to trust my ability to make the right choice.” Another essential choice is choosing to feel worthy and complete, simply spoken to yourself: “I choose to feel worthy and complete.” This helps reduce anxiety, stay calm, and feel more relaxed.

Depending on how long it has been since you’ve felt worthy and complete, you might have to make this choice for many days or weeks running – but keep at it.

By choosing to feel worthy and complete, you automatically redirect yourself to accept that there is nothing you must do. Everything is based on your choice.

If you choose to continue working on some task, even one assigned to you, the choice is made in the present moment, and not based on a prior agenda. A worthy and complete feeling yields a tremendous sense of inner harmony.

Maintaining Your Choices

As with any quest to reinforce choices you make, write or type your choices and post them, or voice record them and play them back. How many choices can you make at once? Make a few or many, there is no limit.

Choose what feels right for you. And keep choosing. While you’re waiting in a bank line, run through your choices. If you notice yourself wavering, recall the new behavior or feeling that you’ve chosen.

You can choose to overcome rituals that no longer support you, or you can make choices beyond anything others would have guessed you’d choose.

A new idea is such a rare thing. We often simply parrot what we hear and read. You can make choices that are not congruent with your history. You can makes choices that no one has ever made before.

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Jeff Davidson

Founder at Breathing Space Institute

Jeff Davidson is an author for NRN. He's the world's only holder of the title "The Work-Life Balance Expert®" as awarded by the US Patent and Trademark Office. He is the premier thought leader on work-life balance, integration, and harmony. Davidson speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management. Visit www.BreathingSpace.com for more information on Jeff Davidson's keynote speeches and seminars, including: Managing the Pace with Grace® * Achieving Work-Life Balance™ * Managing Information and Communication Overload®

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