Last week we reviewed issues that arise around making personal decisions. This week, I’m offering you some steps to deal with the issues raised last week. Then, next week, we will dive into specific actions I find most useful.

Since we identified common procrastination as a barrier to making a decision – let’s talk about overcoming it.

First, the “I’m too busy” root of procrastination. This is like getting in the rental car and hurrying to your...

As physicians, we are trained to make dozens of decisions quickly each day. Yet, we aren't necessarily taught how to translate those methods into our personal lives. There are many methods, tools, and techniques out there that help business leaders make decisions. Some are very applicable to the personal world, and others- not so much.

Before I launch into my techniques for decision-making, compiled from many mentors over the years, I want to explore the issues around decisions first.

I likely learned constraint earlier in my career than others out of sheer necessity. My husband and I were a 2-resident-physician home with 2 children. Admittedly, I served on some committees and took on recruitment in residency that I didn’t have to, but I enjoyed the experiences, and they weren’t a strain on my time or energy.  At other times, I declined small opportunities even though I enjoyed them because they strained my family time, such as working the sidelines at...