Sometimes You SHOULD Make Decisions From the Gut

I almost always tell clients to avoid making knee-jerk decisions from the gut.

When the stock markets tumble and people get nervous, human instinct is to sell. When a woman goes through a major life change like divorce, she may want to splurge on a new luxury car or spend tens of thousands of dollars redecorating her house.

Those snap decisions are usually not a good idea, and can end up being expensive mistakes in the long term.

But sometimes you SHOULD make decisions from the gut.

I was reminded of that the other day when our friends Ben and Jen Fink came to visit us in Atlanta and we were on our way to one of our favorite restaurants, The Optimist. At first, I thought we were stuck in typical rush hour traffic and it was taking a little longer than usual to get there.

I soon realized that the freeway had come to a halt and it was gridlock. I was driving, and I had just passed the last exit by a few hundred feet.

“Guys, should I reverse and get off the freeway?” I asked, to gauge their comfort level with me breaking a traffic law. No one said a thing.

I debated it for a second, and then made a decision from the gut. I turned into the emergency lane on the shoulder, shifted the car in reverse and drove across the green and onto the exit ramp.

We arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later and enjoyed 18 oysters and had a terrific time.

Sometimes in life we have to make quick decisions without a lot of guidance or time to mull things over. Even in those times, you should still consider the pros and cons, be decisive and then act with conviction.

I took an unconventional path on the highway that night, and it saved the evening and allowed us to have a great time with our friends! It was the right decision for the situation, and I’m glad I did it!

What decisions are on your mind? Let’s talk through them so you can be decisive and act with confidence.