Making a decision, I have come to find, is not one of my strengths. Fortunately enough, it is a skill that can be improved. Here is a recent story about my foray into making decisions and what I have learned.
I recently decided to lease a small work space. For the longest time it was a dream to work at home and I finally have that opportunity. Then the dogs wouldn’t stop barking one day and it was time to not be at home.
Thus the adventure to find an office of my own began.
After searching for an hour or so I was able to find a location that I could look at that same day which felt overall like a good fit. I had sent out a couple of other messages to people about other spaces I had found, however, no one responded immediately. So, I picked the first one that I saw cause it seemed to be great.
I would describe my decision making process this point in my life as ‘hasty’. I get very enthusiastic about most things very quickly. Deciding on this space was no exception. I love the location, the price is great, and it was ready for me the immediately. A dream come true!
Here are some things I did not consider: I want to record video. The office is only 6 feet by 10 feet. My voice bounces off every wall multiple times which is not the best for audio. Second, It’s one thing to pay rent on an office space. It’s another to furnish it. I did not consider furniture, design, paint, or what it was going to look like on the inside. How it was going to feel.
Another quite funny example of my lack of considering the finer details is a great piece of furniture that I bought. I found it on Target and was quite excited about it. To be fair to my late night online shopping, I still do quite like it. It was going to be the final piece to complete the office. However, an empty cabinet with nothing on top of it looks almost as silly as the empty space did before it was there! Now instead of an empty space asking for furniture, I have empty furniture asking for things to fill it up!
nice piece of furniture… now what goes on it?!
It’s great to start to have that early burst of enthusiasm and gusto. I would say that this has been an expertise of mine over the years. The cabinet is a great example of this. Because after the cabinet is put together, then come the details. The bits and pieces that make it not simply an object to take up space, but a piece of furniture that makes a statement and defines the room.
Those details are important to making a decision. To make it not simply a simple act, but something that has substance and will create something of significance. Something with depth. Depth is an excellent word, and the aspect of making decisions that I can grow in the most.
I am only in this space for a couple of months. It’s small and I’m right on a hallway. I can hear a lot of what is going on around me, and so I have no doubt people around me can hear what is going on in here. I would prefer something with not as many people walking by and other offices right outside my door. My desire to simply pick and have something greatly outweighed ensuring that it fit what actually worked for me. I have already learned a lot from this experience and I’m grateful for what I have been able to learn.
This is one of the best part about decisions, the best learning can come from seeing the result of the decision made and action taken. I might not be fully satisfied with the result, and yet I can take that and make an even better one the next time around. At least that’s the goal, right?
