Uzi Peretz points out that “the devil is in the details,” and outlines how to avoid getting stuck when trying to make a decision.
—
It is easy to become consumed with others people’s views on religion, politics, celebrities and our ego’s desperate need to be right. And our egos are like scared little children that do a phenomenal job of tricking us into believing we are happy with the status quo; when deep down we know that we are not.
The following 5 steps can help you recognize and overcome the common trap of getting stuck in the details. I’ve used these steps to take me from the land of “I’m going to do it” to the wonderful world of “I did do it”. Here’s how they work:
Step 1 – Decision
The first (and most important) step is to actually make the decision. Most of us think we’re making a decision when we say things like, I’m going to lose weight or I’m going to leave this relationship but that isn’t really making a decision. It is only saying we are going to make a decision. If you’re anything like me, these statements rarely lead to success. A decision to lose weight, for example, isn’t successful until the weight is lost. We may say “I’m going to lose weight” or “I’m going to go on a diet” but only after the weight is lost or the diet completed was the decision actually made.
I spent over a year worrying about writing before I actually started writing. This is a common trap we all get caught up in and it’s called getting stuck in the details. We may worry about what foods to eat or how much money we will have or if anyone will read our stuff but it doesn’t matter. Being stuck keeps us anchored in the present which is exactly what the ego wants. It is afraid of change and confrontation. The details are part of the process but in order to be successful we must learn to put off worrying about them and make the decision first.
Step 2 – Desire
Almost immediately after you make a decision, you’ll begin to feel the warmth of desire. It will flow over and through you. It will also protect you from the negative energy you will surely encounter. The ego will say anything to make us fail. It will question our ability to succeed and tell us it’s not really important. It will try to convince us we are already happy. Don’t listen to it!
Friends and family may turn against us as their own egos lash out in fear. However, when we actually make a decision, all of these things will serve only to increase our desire and guide us through the next few stages. If we let the ego make us afraid we will just get stuck worrying about the details.
Step 3- Details
We all are susceptible to getting stuck in the details. The reality is that details are excuses and excuses are usually just fears in disguise. I’ve found it is normally some combination of money, sex, children, work and fear of failure that are on most people’s lists of excuses.
The details always work themselves out; usually in a way we never expected or even considered while we were busy worrying about them. Make the decision; feel the desire and the details will magically reveal themselves to you.
Step 4 – Deliverance
The fourth step is deliverance which is pretty much a fancy biblical term my father would whip around at our weekly Christian fellowships. All it really means is liberation and thankfully, that is exactly how you’ll feel when you look back on your successes.
It’s been less than a year since I stopped worrying about the details and decided to write. Now I have thousands of words and shared experiences with my partner, friends and strangers in ways I never thought were possible.
When we take control of our lives and start making decisions to improve them; it feels so amazing you’ll want to shout about it from the rooftops.
Step 5 – Dedication
It takes time to see these changes through. Depending on the magnitude of the decision, it can take years before we look back and realize it all started with a decision.
In order to reach our full potential, we must first learn to take control of our experiences. We need to accept that we cannot change the past. We need to consciously choose to make change within ourselves because we are responsible for our actions (and reactions) to the world around us. Remember; whether you want to write a novel, leave your spouse or stop being an asshole, the decision must always come first.
What’s stopping you? Are you caught in the details?
—
Photo: Creative Ignition/Flickr