As a CEO, one of the things that you need to get really good at, and really comfortable with, is making decisions constantly. It is going to be the main task that you’re going to find yourself doing. Whether you’re the one that’s executing it or not, everything is up to you and you need to be confident in the decisions that you make.
So in this specific episode, I’m going to walk you through how to create a lens for yourself to help make those decisions easier in a way that aligns with you, is super strategic, and leaves space for things to evolve.
Show Links:
- Save 10+Hours A Month By Repurposing Content Masterclass
- Episode 063: How a Clear Aligned Vision Saves You Time
- DM me on Instagram
Show Takeaways:
- Listen in to hear my framework for creating your own decision filters.
Rather read before you listen? ⬇️
As a CEO, one of the things you need is to be comfortable making decisions constantly.
It is the main task that you will find yourself doing in this role.
Everything is up to you.
You need to be confident in the decisions you make.
And it isn’t as easy to sit here and say that you just need to get good at making decisions.
It isn’t something that you are either born to do or not. It’s a skill to learn and hone.
So in this episode, I will walk you through the first parts of that: creating a lens for yourself to help make actually making those decisions easier in a way that aligns with you, is super strategic, and leaves space for things to evolve and grow.
Before I get into today’s episode I do want to tell you about an incredible new masterclass that I’m hosting on May 25th. It’s called Save 10+Hours A Month By Repurposing Content and I’m sharing the exact framework that I use to create content for so many platforms every single month without running out of ideas or burning myself out. If you wanna snag your free ticket, head on over to erinhaworth.com/masterclass.
So that lens that you’ll create to make making decisions easier? I call these decision filters. They will be the yard stick by which you measure each opportunity, the lens through which you view everything to help making aligned decisions easier for you.
So are you ready?
The best part about all of it is it’s not hard or boring to create these decision filters.
In fact… previous students and clients have told me this is the most fun part of the process that I teach. Because it gives them an opportunity and permission to really focus on what works for them rather than trying to make it work as someone else’s success plan.
And that is what I want for you too. Rather than deciding to follow someone else’s path to success, I want you to carve your own. a patch that you are excited and confident about. One that brings you such joy and accomplishment on the things that actually matter to you.
So, when I teach this in a group program or with my 1:1 clients, this part is all about self-knowledge and alignment. It’s about recognizing and celebrating the things that make you uniquely you: your strengths, the experiences and situations that light you on fire, the values that you hold most dear, and the vision you have for the life you want to live, the business you want to create, the empire you want to build, and the legacy you want to leave.
This work requires you to get super honest with yourself and get to know you better than anyone else. It requires you to unapologetically answer the question “what do you want and how do you want to get there?”
Here are a few exercises that can help you created your very own decision-filter.
1. Know what you want.
AKA your vision. Once you cast a vision for your life & business, it’s hard to forget it, because if you cast it genuinely based on what YOU want, nothing else will do. It gets you so excited for the future and how to start building that now, that it can block out al the should and supposed to’s so everything you do and every decision you make is a step toward making that vision a reality. Casting a vision doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. In fact, I did an entire episode on it. Go check out episode 063 How a Clear Aligned Vision Saves You Time. The idea here is to get clear on what it is that you actually want to create for your future.
2. Uncover What’s Awesome About You.
One of my favorite things to do with new clients and students or just colleagues is have them take the enneagram or some other “personality” test. Not because I believe any one test is THE answer but because in doing so, it gives you a place to start to reflect on who you are, what your default modes are, what your strengths are, and the areas where you could improve. It helps you understand you and stop pathologizing things about you that aren’t as eagerly celebrated in your circle or in society. For example, I am an Enneagram 8 – The Challenger. That means I am decisive and assertive but can often come across as blunt, unfeeling, cold, and confrontational— all things that good little girls growing up in Oklahoma are taught that are bad. But by understanding my enneagram type, I see the good things and embrace who I am and leverage those things rather than expending all my energy trying to be someone I am not. And how does that fit into creating a decision filter? Well, if I know that my way of communicating is direct and honest, then I likely will align myself with an audience that appreciates that rather than abhors it. Knowing my coaching style is one of tough love rather than hand-holding, I can say yes to more clients who are ready for tough love and no to those who would be better off with a different approach. The same is true when it comes to being an introvert vs an extrovert. If I know I am an introvert, then I can set up my business where I have plenty of alone time before or after long meetings to recharge rather than trying to accommodate everyone else’s needs and then resent them for it. I use the Enneagram as an example but a few others I love are Human Design, Myers-Briggs, DISC, Gallup Strengths Finder, and yes, even Zodiac signs.
3. Know what is important.
The final exercise I will suggest is knowing your values. Values: basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. Understanding your values can help you align your actions with what is truly important to you. Values provide clarity and direction in making decisions that align with who you are and what you stand for. A quick note: There are no right or wrong answers here. No one is checking your work for morality or political correctness. I want you to complete this exercise as truthfully for you as possible. Consider the values that are most important to you and then see if you can cull it down to 5-7 values. That will make a much stronger decision-filter. Some of my values are freedom, focus, curiosity, and knowledge.
Action Step:
I always like to end each episode with an action step that you can take right now to help you move forward and begin to implement immediately. Here is your action step for this episode: Have some fun with this. Choose an exercise from the three that I suggested in this episode and go through it to create your own decision filter. DM me on IG @ms.erin.haworth if you get stuck or to just share an awesome win!!
