If It’s a Maybe, It’s a No

This week, we’re passing the "Weekly Dose of Courage" torch to Nicole Miller , who leads the Action team at Courageous. She has spent her career toggling between brands she’s passionate about and agencies she can produce for - leading brands like Kashi, Mead, Harrah’s, Macy’s, and Sun-Maid from strategy to execution. Today, she is sharing a powerful approach to decision-making that has helped her along the way. - Ryan

It’s taken me years of life experience to begin to realize how to more easily make decisions.

I have learned one simple rule that seems to work for me time and time again. 

And that is - “if it’s a maybe, it’s a no.” 

I don’t know about you, but I have had a tendency to overthink. I’m certainly recovering, but I can find myself slipping back into that mode where I am having a conversation in my head with myself for far too long. 

Over time and as I’ve collected many tools and have gained practice, I have learned that staying in my mind isn’t a great place to linger. 

Today, what I trust most is my intuition. My natural instinct. My gut. 

Not what I think I should do, but what I feel. 

I believe this muscle has been built over time and with years of experience, knowledge, learning and growth. 

Whenever I’m presented with a decision, if I experience any physical resistance, that is usually my body’s way of saying, “alert: something doesn’t feel right here.” 

Instead of moving that feeling from my heart to my head and starting to analyze it and overanalyze it, I stop it right there and just listen to that initial instinct that was clearly telling me “No.”

If I’m faced with a decision and my first reaction is, ”hmmm, I don’t know…maybe”, my rule is that it's likely a no. Something intuitively is giving me pause, so it’s just a “No.” 

Living by this rule of thumb has allowed me to move through life and work with a greater ease. It has also given me a freedom where I don’t second guess my decisions and don’t think about them after I make them. Instead, I feel confident in my ability to trust myself. 

We have worked with countless organizations and leaders who get so easily stuck. Often times paralyzed to make decisions.

Almost always it’s tied to fear - usually grouped into one of two buckets. 

Fear of losing something or fear of not getting something that’s wanted. 

Paralysis impedes action. Action cures fear. 

I tend to think that the quicker you can make decisions, the less room you have for fear to enter. 

So perhaps try closing the gap and practice intuitively making decisions. 

Without getting your mind too involved, you just might make decisions more quickly and easily that you feel really good about – where fear or overthinking isn’t a factor at all. 

Pay attention to how you feel. 

It’s perhaps the greatest indicator to help you make the best-informed decisions.

THE COURAGEOUS PODCAST

Why settle for corporate ‘mission statements’ when you can spark a movement? Thomas Kolster has made it his life’s work to help Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and governments discover exactly who they can help their audiences become. As the founder of the Goodvertising Agency, a recognized global thinker at the intersection of marketing, business, and sustainability, and author of two provocative books—Goodvertising and The Hero Trap—he challenges companies to stop obsessing over their “why” and focus instead on empowering people to own their own transformations. A frequent speaker at TEDx and SXSW, a judge at D&AD and Cannes Lions, and a vocal critic on climate issues, Thomas believes “purpose” isn’t about being a savior but a catalyst. Whether he’s advising Meta, Adidas, or IKEA, his mission remains the same: deliver authentic impact by making your audience, not your brand, the hero.

Missed the last 5 Podcasts?

• Mastercard w/ Raja Rajamannar
• COTE Hospitality w/ Agnelo A. Fernandes
• A Walk Across America w/ Tim Perreira
• Anomaly w/ Jason DeLand
• Entrepreneur & Author of Hello, Fears Michelle Poler

Listen on Apple Podcasts

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Ryan Berman is the founder of Courageous; a think-feel-do change consultancy based in Southern California. With 25 years in creative business, Ryan believes your “future is safe with change”. Ryan is a speaker, practitioner, and authority on the subject who has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Inc, and Forbes. Ryan has spoken on the topic all over the country including at Google, Procter & Gamble, Snapchat, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz, Logitech, Discover Card, and charity: water. Ryan also hosts The Courageous Podcast where he talks with leaders from around the globe to uncover what it means to be courageous in today's world. His book, Return On Courage, shares why companies need to unlock courage while providing practical tips on how organizations can operationalize courage today. Learn more at courageous.io