Decision Ease

Decision Ease

By Kirsten Parker: Decision-Making Coach for OverthinkersBusinessHealth & FitnessEducationSelf-ImprovementCareers
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Decision Ease episodes

  • #27: 3 Pro Tips to Take Charge of Your Decisions at the Holidays

    Happy Holidays! ...Or ARE they, though...😱

    Obviously I want you to feel in charge of your choices 365 days a year, but this particular season is one where it can feel particularly challenging to make powerful, authentic decisions. So can any season with charged importance, right? Weddings...summer break...take your pick!

    So let's make it easy to make choices you love, no matter how *important* this time of year is coming up (no matter when you're listening)!

    Listen in for the top 3 problems that lead peole to make decisions they don't feel super in charge of (and often feel bitter about later)...and my 3 PRO TIPS to solve for them.

    Plus, you'll get all of Kenny's and my most personal examples of how we keep making decisions based on what WE want (Wedding, Thanksgiving, Christmas...check!) 🎄

    If you're facing any of these challenges right now (or you anticipate you WILL soon enough)...this episode is a must-listen:

    • Obligation, tradition or just an overwhelming plethora of options are making decisions impossible
    • You're angsting 24/7 about how your choice might disappoint or upset people
    • It feels like you're facing nothing but crappy compromises where you can't really get what you want, no matter what
    • I promise - I've been there, I get it, and you do NOT have to keep feeling this way.

      Let's make this year the LAST year you don't feel 100% in charge of (and in love with) your choices!

      More links: 

      • Register FREE for the 3-Day December Decide-a-thon! Bring all your confusion & overwhelm - Leave with decisions *made*: https://www.kirstenparker.com/decide-a-thon
      • Check out the Decision Masters Program, where you'll get crystal clear on what you want & take charge of your choics for good: https://www.kirstenparker.com/dmp
      • 21 min
      • #26: Expert Interview! How to End People Pleasing Drama with Coach Sara Bybee Fisk

        Oooo we're in for a treat today, friend! 🎉

        Coach Sara Fisk is in the house and she's here to make not people pleasing a doable, easy, best-gift-to-yourself-ever thing.

        Listen in as we geek out on:

        • How to say no to people (even if you love them!) and live to tell the tale
        • What it feels like to stop defaulting to doing things the hardest way possible
        • Why you should spend more time on the question "What do I really want?"
        • How "people pleasing" isn't an entirely terrible thing (great news! you don't have to try to stop forever!)
        • What the BRAVEST thing you can do really is
        • About Sara Bybee Fisk:

          Sara Bybee Fisk is a Master Certified Coach and Instructor who teaches women how to eliminate people pleasing and perfectionism from their lives. She is an anxious optimist and born again feminist who listens to more books than she actually sits down to read. She loves a good hike, good dark chocolate and good conversations. Her big dreams include learning to sail and to sing and dance like JLo and helping thousands of women create the big, juicy lives they want to be living. She is a wife and mom of 5 and she enjoys those roles most of the time.  

          More links!

          • Sara Fisk's Website: https://www.sarafisk.coach
          • Follow Sara on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sarafiskcoach
          • Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraFiskCoaching
          • Listen to Sara's & my mutual coach Maggie Reyes' interview on the Decision Masters Podcast: Episode 21 "How We "Type A" Women can Thrive in Our Marriages": https://kirstenparker.com/21
          • Get on the waitlist for the Decision Masters Program: https://kirstenparker.com/dmp
          • 48 min
          • #25: We are the Meaning Makers (Happy Halloween)

            Happy Halloween Week! 🎃

            Halloween is a super meaningful holiday in my family, so *meaning* is on my mind.

            This week, I invite you to focus on just how POWERFUL you are when it comes to choosing what's meaningful in your life!

            Here's what we get into:

            • 2:30 - How your brain processes the world through stories and what this means for how powerful you are
            • 5:00 - Why Halloween is a big ass deal for the Parkers ;)
            • 8:30 - The 2 key things that happen when you think ahead to what you WANT to be meaningful 
            • 12:30 - Working through Challenge #1: People don't agree with us on what's important!
            • 16:00 - Working through Challenge #2: We don't prioritize or experience the *meaningful thing* exactly how we wished
            • Want to know the #1 thing you need to kickstart your momentum? Take the Momentum Quiz! www.kirstenparker.com/quiz

               

              Enjoy!

              21 min
            • #24: Are you hiring the wrong people for the wrong jobs?

              At a business retreat in beautiful Jackson Hole, WY last week, I realized I've done some "mis-hires" lately!

              I was there to work with my new business coach, alongside 20 other female entrepreneurs (so fun).

              And getting such specific help, to provide specific solutions in my business, revealed the help I wasn't getting before.

              The emotional guidance, the business strategy, the likeminded community...it turns out, I was actually relying on my poor sweet husband for a lotta that stuff...😬

              And while we genuinely enjoy talking about our work with each other, he is not the best person for THAT job.

               

              This prompted me to consider...what else might I be hiring out in less-than-optimal ways?

              I encourage you to ask the same question. And to make it easy, think about it this way:

              Am I getting everything I need?

              The thing is, Kenny is amazing at listening, giving thoughtful feedback & being generally enthusiastic about my business (he's the best!)

              But his amazingness notwithstanding - I wasn't getting everything I need from him, when it comes to professional guidance & human connection. 

              And that's ok.

              It's not a knock on him. And it's not even a failure on my part.

              It's just really good DATA to have, that I'm using to make GREAT DECISIONS going forward.

              So take this question and run with it. Are you getting everything you need: in the emotional, physical, professional, financial, joyful arenas of your life? 

              Check in, if you've subconsciously hired a friend to be your therapist...or a mentor to be your life coach!

              I promise: When you start identifying the help you really need, and start hiring the BEST people for those jobs, your relationships AND your success will thrive!

               

              MORE LINKS:

              • Enrollment CLOSES for the Decision Masters Program this Friday 10/28: Book your free consult now to get daily support through February 2023!: https://www.kirstenparker.com/schedule
              • 15 min
              • #23: The 5 Habits that Make Me Good at Decisions

                If you want to make decisions without drama — and be confident enough in them that you don't self-sabotage or second-guess...this is the episode for you.

                Let's break down what EXACTLY makes me (and my clients!) good at decisions.

                Notice what YOU'RE aready good at, and what would make a difference in your own decision making!

                P.S. Make sure to check out the Decision Masters Program, because that's exactly where you'll turn these skills into habits. With accountability & guidance, we make it easy!

                👉https://kirstenparker.com/dmp👈 

                In this episode:

                • Find out what each of these 5 habits means, and how to use them to influence your OWN decision making:
                  • I value my time.
                  • I plan to fail.
                  • I decided in advance what matters to me.
                  • I am unavailable for self-shaming.
                  • I have support.
                  •  MORE LINKS:

                    • The Decision Masters Program (enrolling now for November 2022!): https://kirstenparker.com/dmp
                    • The Clarity Workshop (self-paced on-demand goodness!): https://kirstenparker.com/clarity
                    • 14 min
                    • #22: Expert Interview! The Best Way to Pitch Your Project or YOURSELF with Laura Brennan

                      Head's up: You need a Logline!

                      Why? 'Cause whether you're selling a service, product or project...looking for your next career move...or even inviting someone to attend your event or read your blog post — guess what: you're PITCHING! 

                      Which just happens to be the Zone of Genius of this week's interviewee: Laura Brennan, the Pitch & Development Consultant 🙌

                      In this interview, Laura tells you what a LOGLINE is (and how powerful it can be!):

                      • It's your "True North"...How you keep moving in the direction you want
                      • Your Decision Lens...What helps you say aligned Yes'es and No's
                      • And it's how you communicate who you are & what you're offering clearly to everyone else!
                      • Bottom line: If you want to make your own decisions easier, and help the right people get jazzed about what you're up to, you need a Logline.

                        Laura tells you exactly how to create one and how to use it to make clear decisions — in your business, networking, and even pursuit of answers!

                        She also wants to change the world's mind about the icky awkwardness of networking.

                        "Networking and sharing what you're up to...That's how we have great lives!" (She gives you a brand new way of thinking about this so it's something you actually look forward to - YES)

                        Plus, the 3 Interviewee Questions!

                        1. How has coaching helped you? You follow me along with other coaches, you've done my paid and free workshops, you have your own coach...How do you get value from it?

                        One of the things I found early on with you is that, you have a way of looking at coaching and thought work that was a little different from the way my brain worked — and I loved that. It gave me a new lens, a new way of looking at things.

                        One of the things you said that blew my mind was: You can make a decision, and then practice making those decisions in a low-stakes environment. You can practice being the person you want to be in "low stakes"...so that when the stakes are high, it's there — You don't have to reach for it.

                        And I was like, "Hold the phone, what! You can just practice this!?" That gave me so much clarity. Because it allowed me to not have to think about high stakes. It allowed me to just look for the possibility of showing up the way I wanted to show up, in low stakes environments. 

                        2. What kind of decision maker do you consider yourself to be?

                        Oh, I'm a pretty good decision maker...I tend to make decisions out of who I want to be in the world. 

                        [Laura also shares a personal story here, about a big life choice her family made when her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and how this reflects her opinion of her own deicision making!]

                        3. What's the most self-honoring decision from this week you want to share with us?

                        Listen in for Laura's vulnerable & inspiring answer involving — what else — her Clown Class!

                        ENJOY!

                        Ready to end overthinking & make fast, easy, clean decisions ever day? The Decision Masters Program starts Nov 1, 2022! Book your free consult now: https://kirstenparker.com/schedule

                        MORE LINKS:

                        • Laura Brennan: Pitch & Development Consultant: https://PitchingPerfectly.com
                        • The Decision Masters Program (enrolling now for November 2022!): https://www.kirstenparker.com/dmp
                        • The Clarity Workshop (on-demand self-paced workshop!): https://www.kirstenparker.com/clarity
                        • 42 min
                        • #21: Expert Interview! How We "Type A" Women can Thrive in Our Marriages w/Coach Maggie Reyes

                          YOU GUYS, Life Coach & Marriage Mentor Maggie Reyes is in the Podcast House today, whaaaat!?

                          Refill your coffee & get ready to talk about:

                          • How Core Values for your marriage are a real thing
                          • What "open-heartedness" is (hint: you wanna know!)
                          • How to use Values to simplify decisions you make separately AND together
                          • The life-changing mindset of SOLUTION-focus (read: opposite of problems-only-pov)
                          • Two different ways coaching can help you answer BIG STRESSFUL QUESTIONS 
                          • Did we basically fit 5 entire episodes' worth a' JUICE into a single interview? YES.

                            Besides those bullet points, we get into why Type A smarty pants people like us have difficulty with things being EASY. (Ever start a fight out of nowhere for no reason...? Listen up.)

                            We dig into a Core Value of mine that I talk about all the time - Happy Open-Hearted Marriage - and she explains exactly what "open-heartedness" is:

                            • Why marriage research says we should care about it
                            • How you can use awareness of how "open" you are (or not) as a tool for decision making (woot!)
                            • And you know we couldn't not talk about our collective bad habit of All or Nothing Thinking:

                              • We're either on the same team or we're disagreeing
                              • We're either connected or I'm upset about something
                              • But wait...turns out BOTH things can be true at the same time!
                              • And she shares the quote that SHOOK ME when she offered it to me in one of our group coaching sessions earlier this year.

                                ENJOY!

                                Ready to stop living in Overthinking agony? Let's make every decision EASIER.

                                The Decision Masters Program starts NOV 1 - Book your free consult now!

                                 

                                MORE LINKS:

                                • https://maggiereyes.com/
                                • The Marriage Life Coach Podcast: https://maggiereyes.com/podcast/
                                • SOUL-Centered Communication episode from Maggie's podcast: https://maggiereyes.com/podcast/39/
                                • https://www.instagram.com/themaggiereyes/
                                • The Decision Masters Program (enrolling now for November 2022!): https://www.kirstenparker.com/dmp
                                • The Clarity Workshop: https://www.kirstenparker.com/clarity
                                • 56 min
                                • #20: Client Convo! How to Stop Living Under Nonstop Pressure w/Nina Harada

                                  Feeling pressure about big QUESTIONS?...Doing it ALL?...Choosing RIGHT...? This interview is for you!

                                  If you've ever been curious about what coaching helps people with, my client & friend Nina's answer is a brilliant summary: "I stopped worrying about all the things I'm not doing, and I just kept doing the next, best thing."

                                  That mentality (GOLD!) is what allowed her to take the insane pressure off herself to know - and do - ALL the things , and STILL set her life up in an intentional way, so she gets to do work AND art that she enjoys AND parent (etc...) on her terms!

                                  In this conversation, you get to hear: 

                                  • How challenging it was to not know what was next, and how coaching helped!
                                  • "The major thing that coaching helped me with is taking the pressure off. When you feel like it's these BIG life decisions, and ohmygosh I need to figure out my ENTIRE next chapter...How am I supposed to move forward in that headspace? It's so much pressure."
                                  • What it looked like (literally) to take "one step at a time" on the way from I don't know all the way to a new career (which, ps, she never could have imagined at the beginning of her search!)
                                  • How letting go of the idea that "things need to be linear" made everything easier (even though it's a HARRRD paradigm to unlearn)
                                  • Nina's favorite tools from coaching?

                                    • Taking action from alignment 🏃‍♀️🧭👌 — Literally being ok not knowing the exact results a decision will yield in your life, but being confident in that decision because you can trust you're in alignment with what you value, what you want & how you want to feel!
                                    • Celebrating WINS 🥳🙌🍾 — YEARS ago, I shared a practice of regularly recording (and celebrating) wins & successes at the end of every month...and Nina's been doing it ever since! She shares how this is a huge antidote to the What even happened this week / month / year and Surely I'm not being productive enough problems!👌
                                    • There is no such thing as a "wrong decision" 🤯🤯🤯
                                    •   

                                      Plus: The 3 Interviewee Questions!

                                      1. What would you say to someone considering getting coaching? 

                                      Well, the fact that you know about coaching, and that it exists, means this is a thing that you've looked into and are thinking about...I would say: do it. Do it! Because you're the type of person who would do coaching.

                                      2. What kind of decision maker would you call yourself today? Ok, I used to be really indecisive. That's like, Past Self, "used to be." And I feel pretty proud of myself that, now, I'm a clearer decsion maker. 

                                      I'm not someone who's like, "Oh, I know right away." But I am someone who's done enough of the work, and has enough of the tools, that I can say, "Oh I know what I can do to be clear and feel good about the next decision."

                                      3. What's the most self-honoring decision you've made in the last week, that you want to share with us?

                                      Listen to Nina's PURE GOLD answer, which she prefaces with "...this is gonna sound so stupid." I swear: the little things ARE the big things.

                                      When your decision making is more authentic & self-honoring in the SMALL (..."stupid"...) stuff, you're 500x more likely to be inclined to authentic decisions when it comes to the the BIG stuff.

                                       

                                      Nina Harada is a writer, artist, parent, fellow podcast host, and digital editor at LA Parent Magazine. She wears a lot of hats, both in life and in work, and she's realized that's where she thrives. (She's also a Gemini, if that explains anything).

                                      Nina's coaching story summed up:

                                      "When I first sought out coaching, those multiple hats were confusing to me. I wanted all the things and at the same time thought I didn't know what I wanted. But one of the many takeaways from coaching is realizing there's time for it all. If it's meant for me, it will be. This eased my anxiety. Now I'm not worried about all the things I'm not doing — I'm focused on what I am doing and just keep doing the next best thing."

                                       

                                      More links:

                                      • https://www.ninaharada.com
                                      • Follow on Instagram @ninaharada (for life, adventures & California-specific adventures)
                                      • Follow on Instagram @ninaharadaart (to see her oil painting, watercolors, collage & affirmation decks)
                                      • L.A. Parent Podcast: Real Parents, Real Conversations
                                      • The Decision Masters Program (enrolling now for October 2022!): https://www.kirstenparker.com/dmp
                                      • 45 min
                                      • #19: Coaching Sesh! When you think "Something terrible has to happen to balance the scales" with Ariell Ilunga

                                        Ever get scared things are going TOO well for comfort?

                                        Want an insider's look at how coaching really works?

                                        This episode's for you!

                                        In Part 2 of my conversation with client & friend Ariell Ilunga (Part 1 was Ep 18), we "clean out a cobweb" happening in her mind: This thought that "Something terrible has got to happen to balance the scales. You can't be happy for very long."

                                        We give her space to explore what she's thinking & feeling honestly — no judging / avoiding / rushing away (how we do, in coaching 😉)...and we explore what she wants to do with that. How does she want to use it for her growth, how can she engage with it on purpose, going forward. De-lish!

                                        Highlights:

                                        • "I feel like I'm watching it unfold now, as opposed to actively pushing things around to make it happen. Which is really...gratifying and grounding, but also trippy at the same time, and weird and scary."
                                        • "I visualize a lot...and at some point, there's gonna be this window where I have everything I want. I have my family, this amazing partner, these beautiful children, we're in our home that we bought...never thought that was gonna happen...and I have my store. And I'm standing there, and have all of it: everything I could possibly want."
                                        • And then this fear comes up: "Something terrible's GOT to happen to balance the scales. You can't be happy for very long."
                                        • Our coaching goes into the human tendency to Upper Limit our own happiness and we end up asking the question "What if you had such a wide window of tolerance for emotion that you could handle having everything you wanted, to the point that you didn't have to escape that feeling and rush off into your next To Do List?"
                                        • And Ariell OWNS that she's already consciously changed her relationship with fear (she no longer tries to avoid it or shut it down immediately)...and she can exercise that SAME SKILL with other emotions, like joy, contentment, gratitude...YES!
                                        • "What's dangerous about this? What will it cost me to let myself fully enjoy this moment?"
                                        • We also craft Ariell's next Vision (the self-concept she's building on purpose): "I'm a person who isn't afraid of Joy. I know I'm capable of letting all of it in." SO GOOD 🤩
                                        • 34 min
                                        • #18: Client Convo! Leaving the "Carved Path" & Learning to Talk to Fear w/Ariell Ilunga

                                          This interview was so jam-packed I HAD to make it a two-parter...buckle up!

                                          In this episode, my client Ariell gets totally honest about:

                                          • What it took to go from "leaving this job doesn't even feel like an option" to "It's now or never: I'm going to start my own business"
                                          • The many layers of FEAR involved along every step of the way (leaving her job, becoming an entrepreneur, even walking away from an investor/partner and a big pile of money after a year of negotiations!)
                                          • How it feels to be living her truth 
                                          • "I'm not forecasting, and I'm not living in the past, and I'm living true to myself for the first time ever."

                                             

                                            Plus: The 3 Interviewee Questions!

                                            1. What would you say to someone considering getting coaching? 
                                            2.  Short answer: Do it.

                                              Even if you have no goals, you're still gonna have to be a human. Your fears will still show up, indecisiveness, cloudiness...joy, abundance, all of these things are still gonna show up. 

                                              I think the best part about having worked with you and continuing to work with you is: Having tools to manage all of that. For me...I didn't know I could ask my Fear a question, a year ago. I didn't know I could talk with my Fear. 

                                              You're still a human, and you're gonna have a lot of feelings. They're not going away — that's not the goal. This whole stupidness around "Don't make an emotional decision"...ALL decisions are emotional! And the problem is, we don't know how to process our feelings, and turn them into powerful tools to make decisions. 

                                              2. What kind of decision maker would you call yourself today? 

                                              Clear. Grounded. Tethered, in a good way, to something.

                                              You know Tetherball? That pole? I have that. If you root it to something, you can sway the course of  your life. I don't think I'm a perfect decision maker, whatever that is, but I have this root thing I can keep coming back to, that helps me stay rooted & grounded.

                                              3. What's the most self-honoring decision you've made in the last week, that you want to share with us?

                                               Ariell's multi-point answer includes celebrations about parenting, boundaries, money choices, vacation, a margarita and a well-deserved lounge chair nap - SO GOOD!!

                                               

                                              Ariell Ilunga is the Founder and CEO of Carla's Fresh Market, a reimagined neighborhood grocery store. They'll be opening their first brick & mortar in early 2023 and are currently selling elevated pantry staples online at Also have a Pop-Up Pantry that pops up all over Los Angeles, selling curated pantry items.

                                               

                                              More links:

                                              • Carla's Fresh Market Online Store: https://www.carlasfreshmarket.com/
                                              • Find out where the next Live Pop-Up Pantry will be in Los Angeles: https://www.carlasfreshmarket.com/pop-up-pantry
                                              • Follow on Instagram @carlasfreshmarket
                                              • The Decision Masters Program (enrolling now for October 2022!): https://www.kirstenparker.com/dmp
                                              • 45 min

                                              About Decision Ease

                                              From the publisher's feed

                                              Tired of overthinking every decision - big or small? You're in the right place.