Who is in control of your pizza?

Lately I am convinced that if you want to gain a higher position at work, or, frankly, in life, you must be able to make decisions. 

Here is an example and an experiment I tried myself. When I arrived here in Italy and we started going out for pizza, I noticed that the pizza menus were  FULL of choices (think family restaurant with 30 pages of choices in America). There were sometimes up to 10 pages of DIFFERENT kinds of pizzas you could order.

Well, at first I just couldn't decide because the number of choices was overwhelming. So I did what my husband did. I ordered the same thing (as him) every time: 4 formaggi. Funny how too many choices can paralyze you.

But then I decided I needed to try new things so I changed approach. Instead of doing it myself, I gave the choice to the Pizzaiolo. I figured HE was a professional, let him choose, and it IS a choice on the menu (called "fantasia del pizzaiolo"). That would at least give me some variety. I did that for a couple of years and had some really amazing pizzas and only one dud (deep-fried but not breaded egg plant makes for an overly greasy pizza. Fail.) One notable pizza had a fried egg on it and was covered with shaved truffles-- that was a really good pizza.

I got lots of credit for being adventurous from friends and family (almost NO ONE takes the fantasia option), but I still wasn't making any decisions.

Then I decided to CONSCIOUSLY MAKE DECISIONS about everything instead of LETTING THINGS HAPPEN.

I started looking at the menu and actually deciding to order a different pizza every time. Once in a while I allow myself a repeat.

Do you make decisions in your life? Think about it. Here is a quick self-evaluation.

1. What do you have for dinner at home? Do you try new dishes or are you on a routine of tried and true favorites?
2. When you go out to eat, do you try new places or do you go to the same places?
3. What do you order when you go out? Do you try something new each time or do you just have "the Usual"?

And, finally, and I believe this is related.

4. Do you allow yourself to say NO to people or do you go into sleep mode until the other person figures out that you don't want to do it?

There are a lot of non decision-makers out there if you think about it. Don't be one of them.

Heck, you can even make some wrong decisions. It is still better than avoiding them.

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