Decisions, Decisions: Hustle vs Harmony Mode

This week’s newsletter is all about hustle vs harmony mode. Ready to throw your phone across the room or throw your hands up in frustration? If you’re overwhelmed by all the decisions you constantly have to make, this week is for you!

Here’s a topic I know you’re familiar with: Decision-making. Ha, did you just throw your head back in your chair because you can’t make another f*cking decision today? 

We both know it’s all the decisions associated with our businesses, and it’s also all of the decisions we make in our household that fall on our shoulders. Women entrepreneurs are seriously some of the best “Get sh*t done Women” I’ve ever met, but once again, we both know it comes with a cost. 

I’ve been listening to a podcast by one of my favorite bloggers Money with Katie and Tara Reid, a web developer….they have a podcast called “Bossy” it dives deep into different entrepreneurial topics and they are both so intelligent and always seem to ask such great questions for each other. In one of their episodes, they spoke of working through two different times in entrepreneurship. 

Before we dive in, let’s start with some facts…

The majority of our daily decision-making is actually all habitual, and made without conscious thought. For instance, think about your daily commute to work - you don’t have to decide which route to take, you know it (fun fact: it’s still a decision though habitual.) But what happens when there are too many things to decide on, or what happens when you are stressed TF out?

On Monday’s podcast, I discussed how using what I’ve dubbed: The 3H Method: Head, Heart, and Hands is the best way to make decisions. Many of us think we can just take emotion (heart) out of the equation, however, your brain (head) automatically associates feelings you actually can’t take “emotion” out of it because it all works together. By leveraging logic, intuition, and action in harmony, we can make better decisions for ourselves, our businesses, and our home life. What’s that word that none of us understand but always strive for? Oh yeah, balance…actually let’s just re-file this into a bad word… b*lance. There.

Here’s another fact for ya….

Chronic stress can actually alter your brain chemistry. In a study done back in 2012, participants who were subject to the stress of preparing for a medical exam made the majority of decisions based on habits, whereas participants who weren't under the same stress were able to make new decisions. They concluded in the research that if you are under stress your brain resorts to habitual decision-making because it exerts less stress. But then here’s the kicker… Another study found the more decisions we make in a day also leads to more stress and even fatigue. The brain has only limited capacity and once it’s depleted there’s not a lot left up there. 

So how can you make mindful decisions in business and life when your life and business is full of decisions that need to be made by you constantly?

You have to know if you’re in “wartime” or “peacetime.” First, let’s rebrand and redefine these terms….

• Hustle-Mode (formally known as “wartime”)  - when your business is facing an immediate threat from a competitor, economic climate, or a major market shift. You gotta go into hustle-mode and do all the things.

• Harmony-Mode (formally known as “peacetime”) - when your business is growing and has a competitive advantage, and you’re working on growth opportunities. You feel like everything is in harmony and you may be able to see a clear path ahead.

You need to know which one you are in so you know how to go about making decisions. 

This week we are going to take two Reality Inventories…

1. Reality Inventory - Hustle vs Harmony

1. Ask yourself are you in Hustle-mode or Harmony-mode? Then ask yourself which mode you normally thrive or sit comfortably in?

2. Reality Inventory - Strive vs Thrive

1. Most likely if you’re in Harmony-mode and harmony mode is where you thrive, you might not need help with making decisions. But, if you’re in Hustle-Mode and you thrive in Harmony-mode or vice versa you may need some help because the brain gets stressed. 

Whether in your business or in your life, here is a mindful formula you can use to help make some big decisions and stay intentional no matter if you’re in Hustle or Harmony-mode. 

The DECIDE Framework, created by Professor Kristina Guo goes like this:

• Determine the problem

• Establish the criteria

• Consider alternatives

• Identify the choice

• Develop the plan of action

• Evaluate the solution

Remember decision-making is an integral part of our lives as female entrepreneurs, and the weight of the decisions falls squarely on our shoulders, and let’s be real it’s not always a walk in the park or easy by any means. 

So, as you collect your Reality Inventories this week, remember to discern which mode you’re currently operating in and where you thrive best. And, whether you find yourself in the midst of hustle or basking in harmony, know that you have the courage, capability, and strength to navigate any challenging decision that comes your way.