With Chris's permission (and with my accompanying comments) here are the 8 ways one can successfully and often indefinitely avoid making a decision about the things that count most in life:

1) Apply for something

According to Chris, "applying for anything is a great option for putting off real decisions. First, it takes care of the immediate problem of how to spend your free time and energy, and then it provides you with an extended time of waiting around to learn the results of your application."

Obviously, there are some things in life worth applying for, but applying can sure take an enormous amount of time.

In third year medicine, I applied to every residency program in the country in both Family Practice and Emergency Medicine. I got interviews at every single one, accepted them all and flew back and forth across the country at my own expense "just in case". In the end, I got my top choice, Emergency Medicine in my own hometown. Really, I hadn't needed to get on a single flight. I also ended up in a totally inappropriate career. I spent more time and money on the application process than actually thinking about what I was best suited to do.

2) Enter or re-enter formal education

"Great at slicing away years of your life, often at a time when you're best prepared to put them to good use."

Looking back, I don't know if I would be a physician again. Beyond the fact that I've found that I'm more suited to other types of work, from a purely financial point it was not a good move. Even though I make a very good living now from the various things I do, I racked up a ton in student loans and didn't start earning a decent hourly wage until I was 28. My sister who is seven years younger didn't finish college and spent most of her twenties working for Starbucks. She started saving and investing in real estate at an age when I was busily applying to med school and has a net worth at least five times mine. Not to mention I lost some of the best years of life wandering the halls of those hospitals day and night.

I do have a coaching client who just entered higher education at a renowned university, it's a no-brainer in his case - through our work together he took the leap and retired early, has a phenomenal pension, extensive additional savings and got a scholarship to boot, so he's essentially getting paid to go. The plan is that this move will snag him a great new career that he's more passionate about, but even if it doesn't he's going to school again because he thinks it will be awesome. And it will.

3) Adopt fatalism

Chris cites favorite fatalistic phrases such as "If it's meant to be, it will happen."

I believe this phrase has some truth to it - however you also need to do your part. What will be will very likely be, but you can lose the opportunity if you spend your life sitting at home doing nothing but visualizing and reciting positive affirmations.

4) Pursue side projects

Ouch.

"Go ahead," says Chris, "say yes to that thing that will distract you from your purpose."

Double ouch.

This one's a tough one, since for example my pursuing flamenco dancing at a professional level might have seemed a rather ridiculous side project for a doctor. In the end moving to Mexico and setting up my own dance company was a pivotal decision in my life that eventually and unexpectedly launched my speaking and coaching career and formed the premise for my book, Live a Life You Love.

That said, I bet that if you ask yourself you'll be able to tell the difference between side projects that move you towards your dreams and the ones that help you put those dreams off.

5) Embrace ignorance

"Base all of your analysis of the situation on your existing beliefs without gathering more data. Ignore warning signs that you might be wrong, and accept that if you're scared of something, you shouldn't do it."

Ignorance has gotten me into trouble too many times to count. And I don't want to talk about that right now.

6) Ask everyone for advice

"For best results, signal your hesitation about the decision to the people of whom you ask advice."

Those words made me laugh out loud - too true.

This is a difficult one. I frequently quote the wisdom that "in a multitude of counsellors there is safety" and I have older and wiser people I respect that I run things by. That said, I'm as likely to override their advice as I am to heed their words, based on my gut instinct.

I recently read an interview with Frances Mayes, author of the runaway best-seller (now an empire) Under the Tuscan Sun. It was her seemingly insane decision to buy an abandoned scorpion-infested Italian farmhouse that kick-started her now astounding success.  According to Mayes not a single person she knew (other than her equally insane husband, who she was buying the house with) agreed with her. They all were sure she was nuts and shouldn't do it. Imagine if she'd listened?

7) Compare yourself to others

"Look at people who are more successful than you and fall into despair over why you haven't achieved as much as them." (oops, guilty as charged in my discussion of point #1)

"Alternatively, look at people who are less successful than you, and console yourself that at least you're further along than them."

Both of these attitudes can get you into trouble. It really is best to compare yourself to where you believe you're meant to be in your life, and whether you're on track to do what you believe you came here on earth to do.

8) Decide to settle

"Thinking ahead to a vague, undefined future is especially helpful. ‘I'll have more time for the things I want to do later.'"

Sometimes it's very helpful and even essential to delay gratification, but not when it's the stuff that matters most.

You can read Chris's entire post here.

If you'd like to have my help making decisions and moving forward in your life, contact me through the "contact blogger" link below or visit my website's Life Coaching page for more information here.

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