Gaining clarity through decisions

The Bookmarks

• The Difference Between Feeling Stuck & Having Opti …

• What is Decision Pressure?

• How to Create Decision Pressure (On Purpose)

• How to Stir Up Real Options

• Why Stakes Create Clarity

• How to Add Stakes (Without Freaking Yourself Out)

• A Reminder Before You Go

• Poll & Prompt: How do you respond to decisions?

The Difference Between Feeling Stuck & Having Options

When I was coaching people through career transitions, the #1 thing my clients wanted?

More options.

• They felt trapped in jobs they didn’t want

• They weren’t getting responses to applications

• They felt invisible in their industries

• They were convinced they had no opportunities

And the irony?

The harder they searched, the more they lost track of what they actually wanted.

This can look like:

• Lowering your standards just to land something

• Undervaluing yourself in sales conversations

• Spinning out in overthinking and overwhelm

When you chase any opportunity as if it’s your only option, you end up shrinking yourself to fit. And the results?

• Burnout—way faster than you expected

• Resentment—because you knew deep down it wasn’t right

• Feeling right back where you started

I know this pattern well—because I’ve fallen into it, too.

And that’s why I use a strategy I call Clarity Through Decision Pressure™.

What is Decision Pressure?

Simply put, decision pressure happens when you have multiple real choices in front of you.

Not just hypothetical choices.

Not just thinking about different paths.

But actual, tangible opportunities—ones you have to say yes or no to.

Here’s why this works:

If you’re waiting for decisions to come to you, you’re only ever comparing one option at a time.

Example: If I only had one job interview next week, I’d be weighing it against my current situation. Do I want this job, or do I want to stay where I am?

But because I have multiple conversations lined up—including:
✔ A job interview
✔ A consulting expansion opportunity
✔ 7 meetings with creative business owners

…I’ll be comparing several potential futures at once.

And that is where real clarity happens.

How to Create Decision Pressure (On Purpose)

If you’re feeling stuck, the problem isn’t that you have “no options.”

It’s that you don’t have real, active options in front of you—just a bunch of hypotheticals swirling in your mind.

The first step is to define the problem you’re actually trying to solve.

Ask yourself:
💡 What do I want more of? (Flexibility? Income? Creative fulfillment? Autonomy?)
💡 What do I want less of? (Burnout? Feeling invisible? Financial stress? Isolation?)
💡 If I could design my ideal next step, what would it look like?

Now, here’s where decision pressure comes in.

Instead of waiting for something to come along, you need to actively create multiple real paths forward—paths that require you to make a decision.

How to Stir Up Real Options

1. Make people aware you’re open to something new
   → Talk to past colleagues, clients, and your network
   → Share your expertise publicly (on LinkedIn, in groups, in conversations)
   → If you're job-searching, actually tell the right people—not just send applications into the void

2. Put your name in the ring for at least three different things
   → Apply for roles you’d genuinely consider
   → Pitch an expanded scope to your current company or clients
   → Explore partnerships, collaborations, or new revenue streams

3. Set up real conversations that could lead to something
   → Reach out to people who are doing work you admire
   → Reconnect with potential clients or collaborators
   → Ask someone for an informational interview—because opportunities often come from side doors, not front doors

If you have only one thing to compare against your current reality, it’s easy to justify staying put.

But when you deliberately create multiple real possibilities, you start to see your situation in context—and context creates clarity.

For example:

If you’re on the fence about going full-time or staying independent, you might set up:
✅ A job interview for a full-time role
✅ A conversation with your top client about expanding your contract
✅ A meeting with a business partner to explore a new collaboration

Hey! Those sound familiar! 😉 

Now, instead of guessing, you’re comparing three tangible paths.

And suddenly, your gut reaction gets more clear.

One of them excites you. One of them makes you hesitate. One of them just feels… off.

That’s clarity you can’t get by sitting around and thinking.

Why Stakes Create Clarity

Now, let’s talk about stakes.

Because if there’s nothing at risk, there’s no real decision.

And if there’s no real decision, there’s no clarity.

This is why so many people stay stuck in perpetual analysis mode.

👉 They dream about what’s next—but never actually apply, pitch, or put themselves out there.
👉 They toy with the idea of going independent—but never commit to securing clients or testing an offer.
👉 They want more creative work—but never make space for it in their real life.

The problem?

They haven’t created real stakes—so they’re not actually being forced to decide.

How to Add Stakes (Without Freaking Yourself Out)

The trick to gaining clarity isn’t to take massive, irreversible leaps—it’s to create small, real commitments that demand a yes/no answer.

Try these:

1. Schedule a conversation where you have to give a real answer.
   → Instead of just “thinking about” taking on more clients, email someone today and book a meeting to discuss it.
   → If you’re job-hunting, set a deadline to apply for 3 roles by next week.

2. Commit to a path for 90 days.
   → Want to try consulting? Book one project—not forever, just for now.
   → Curious about a new industry? Get a small, part-time contract in it.

3. Give yourself a real test.
   → Instead of debating “Would I like a full-time job again?”, try working with a company on a short-term contract.
   → If you’re wondering if you should go solo, take on one independent client.

When you create real trade-offs, your gut will have a reaction.

Without stakes, everything stays hypothetical.

With stakes, the decision becomes real.

And real decisions lead to real clarity.

A Reminder Before You Go

No matter what path you (or I) end up choosing—our work, identity, and value are so much bigger than any one decision.

And we always have more options than we think.

Thanks for reading!

Warmly,
Jennifer

P.S. Despite using the word “pressure”, this strategy is not about stressing yourself out. In fact, it does the opposite. It relieves the burden of feeling stuck.

3 Daily Habits

I’m tracking my daily and weekly habits that help me stay rooted in my creativity. Here’s how last week went:

4 Weekly Habits

Poll & Prompt: How do you respond to decisions?

Journal Prompt:
Think about a recent decision you had to make—big or small. How did you feel before, during, and after making it? Did the process bring you clarity, or did it create more uncertainty?

❤️