Hey Friend!

Do you ever find yourself knee-deep in a situation and think, “Oh, snap! How did I get here?” Or do you get all these ideas and jump into action before you stop to think about whether God has called you in that direction? You’re not alone, friend! When it’s time for me to make a big decision, I always want to rush through the process and get straight into the action, but let me tell you: it doesn’t work! So today, I’ve got 4 things you need to do before you make a big decision so you don’t jump in and have regrets later.

Before You Make a Big Decision, Do These 4 Things

I like to take big action and sometimes big action is not the right decision. It’s incredible to take big audacious action in your life and in your business, but not without these four key, critical steps. I discovered in the last month or so that I really made a big mess of things in my business, specifically in my operating system, because I tend to act quickly before I have a strategic plan in place. Sometimes I act before I discern. Then I’m running in circles trying to figure out if this was a good decision, my team is trying to catch up with me, and it’s a hot mess express. 

I have made a commitment to myself to do these four things before I make a big decision in my business and I wanted to share them with you. I think it will bless you and help you stay focused on the right things moving forward.

1. Take some time to pause before you make a big decision 

If you’re like me, you see something as an opportunity or a great idea and you run straight at it. That can be great, but it can also get me off God’s plan for my business because I’m not pausing long enough to move through these next three steps. Pause so you can be discerning and clear-headed and make an educated decision.

2. Pray when you make a big decision

When we’re excited about something new, emotion will rise up and we’ll just move on it. I will not make a big decision without thoughtful prayer. “Lord, is this the right decision to make? Should I move forward with this?” We’ve got to bring God into every choice and decision. And even if I haven’t heard from God, I will move forward and trust that if it’s not right, He will absolutely make that clear. I continue to pray as I’m moving and I’m trusting that He will make the way clear.

3. Seek Wise Counsel

“Without counsel, plans fail. But with many advisors, they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). 

Who are the people you can trust, who you can lean on when you make a big decision in your business? Thoughtfully. Prayerfully. Biblically. I have my mastermind, some people I personally coach with, friends, and of course, my husband. Sometimes I will even turn to my team and say, “I’ve paused, I’ve really thought about this thing, I’ve brought it to God, and now I’m bringing it to you to see what your thoughts are. Do you think this is a wise choice? Is this is a sound investment? Do you think I should stop doing A, B, or C?” 

There are so many things I think are great decisions that my wise counsel has kept me from running into like a freight train. They’ve probably saved me tons of money and lots of fixing things. Who are those people for you? Who are the three people you can turn to when you need wise counsel?

4. Plan your next steps

Let’s say it’s a yes, don’t just start moving. Don’t start shooting off emails. Don’t just say yes and leap in. This is what I’m most guilty of. This is one thing I failed at this year: taking action before I had done these three things and then failing to plan. You can ask my team how that feels. I say we’re going to do this thing and there’s no plan. There’s no system. There’s nowhere to see the steps and know who’s doing what. It’s not a scalable model. 

If I’m trying to build a million-dollar business, it has to be well-planned out, I have to be stellar at execution, and I have to be serious about making sure that every decision I make in this business is not just for me. My decision has to be for the team as a whole, and everyone needs to know each step to make this successful. There’s clear communication. There’s one operating system and everything is a well-oiled machine.

I’ve committed to these four things and I encourage you to write them down. Before you make a big decision, lean into these four steps: Pause, Pray, Seek Wise Counsel, and Plan. It will help you feel more at peace and confident that you’re following God’s plan for your business.

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

P.S. Also, listen to podcast episode 552 for the full training on How to Apply Any Scripture to Your Life & Business.

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