How to make the right decision every time.

Carrie and I both own and run small businesses which means we just make it up as we go more often than I would like to admit.

An entrepreneur is by definition doing something that’s never been done, like everyday… all the time.

We have systems and processes in place to help keep us on track, but even those are made up.

We constantly face situations that require making decisions that lead us to places we’ve never been and therefore don’t have any previous experience to pull from. We often don’t know what we are doing! It’s the best/worst thing ever.

One method that helps tremendously in these situations is asking a simple question…

What would a professional do?

So for example, Carrie is a Voice Over Actor. We just moved into a new Townhouse and she’s been using the closet as a sound booth to do her recordings.

The closet works great but isn’t going to cut it forever. What she really needs is a sound booth. (We we need our closet back!)

A new sound booth runs around $5,000!

Naturally we want to avoid this cost if we can. Carrie could limp along using the closet for months, even years, or we could just pull the trigger on a new booth. But jeez… if the closet works why drop $5,000?!?!

Decisions without a clear answer are the worst!

Then we asked the question, “What would a professional do?”

The answer becomes instantly obvious.

A professional Voice Actor would have a professional sound booth, not just a closet.

(That’s her new booth in a giant shipping crate in the Uhaul truck. We got a great deal on a used one and shipped it from Chicago!)

Asking what would a pro do always gives us the right answer without having to agonize over it for too long.

You can use this method in any area of your life, not just in business.

What would a healthy person eat?

What would a good husband/wife/parent do?

What would someone who wants to be debt free within two years do?

You could do this your entire life with every decision you ever make.

You are sort of just copying the thoughts, actions, and attitude of a successful person. And when you do that, you become a successful person.

Remove yourself from whatever situation you are facing and replace yourself with a Pro, then hit play, watch and take notes. What did the Pro do? Do that.

This method helps us make decisions all the time. Especially when we are faced with something we’ve never done before. How are you supposed to answer questions like that?! It’s so much easier and you get better results when you cast the decision-making duty onto someone who is likely to make the right decision.

We’ve found this takes away indecision, anxiety, and doubt. It also reduces fear of making the wrong decision.

Forget what you would do… What would a Pro do?

-Derek

Here’s the booth set up in our bedroom. A tiny sound-proof room in our room. That’s not creepy at all, right?!