To What End

One of my favorite studies I quote in?Wonderhell ?is the Coin Flip Study.

If you've heard my?keynote , you may have heard me talk about it.

The?Coin Flip Study ?states that when struggling to make big life choices -- leaving a job, ending a relationship, seeking more education, quitting smoking -- studies show people who flip a coin and “go for it” regardless of the outcome are more satisfied with their decisions and much happier six months later than those whose coin toss instructed them to maintain the status quo.

And, here's what is so cool about the study: this is even true for people who say that they made the wrong choice.

Two months later, they say they are "no worse off" and six months later, they say they are "substantially better."

Even when they say it was the wrong choice.

Why?

Because the very act of moving forward teaches us things about ourselves: what we care about, what we enjoy, what burdens us, and even what we are willing to do to get through to the other side.

Here's what I know to be true:

When you’re unsure about?what?to do, you’ll be happiest if you just choose?something?to do.

BUT...

Unless you are ruthlessly judgmental about your actions, you will always confuse action for impact.

Yes, action beats stagnation. But action also begets more action. So, how do you know if the action is making you just "no worse off" or actually "substantially better"? By asking yourself questions.

"Where does this lead?"

"To what end am I doing this?"

"What am I looking to find?"

"How will I know if this is right?"

"So what?"

Of these, of course, my favorite is "So what?"

I can literally hear my curmudgeonly old mentor growling at me in his heavy Bronx accent, as I preen and pontificate about my action on a project, "So what?"

Put another way:

Does this action get you more -- or less -- of what you want?

Does this action push you more -- or less -- towards where you wish to go?

Does this action allow you to be more -- or less -- of who you want to be?

That's pretty simple math, don't you think?

So, the one thing to do this week? Take one small, bold action you've been avoiding—flip your metaphorical coin and "go for it." But don’t stop there: ask yourself “So what?” to make sure it’s leading you closer to the life you truly want.