Do you find yourself valuing others’ opinions over your own? Are you a person who often asks others what they think you should do? Is it difficult for you to trust yourself when making decisions? Some people even ask waiters what they should eat at a restaurant. How would the waiter know the answer to that question if they don’t know you.
It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overvaluing what others think and devaluing what you think. We’ve observed this phenomenon with young people choosing a major in college. Sometimes they want to please their parents or peers over what they truly want to do with their careers. Unfortunately, it can be years later when they realize they chose the wrong path.
We’ve seen it with entrepreneurs trying to figure out what’s best for their business and parents wanting to do a good job raising their children. Often people are afraid to make mistakes, so they let others decide. If they make a choice based on the advice of someone else, they can abdicate responsibility.
To get better at this skill, practice refraining from asking others about smaller decisions. Make your own choice with the full knowledge that if you make a mistake, you will be accountable. Some simple areas include what you’re wearing, what you’re eating, how to respond to innocuous emails. This strengthens your habit. Once you feel confident in these smaller decisions, you can step into even more important choices in your life. What do you think?