When faced with making a decision, there are usually three choices we think we have:  YES. NO. MAYBE. 

Oddly, YES and NO have a lot in common.  Both are definitive and indicate the decision-making process is over. YES opens a door, while NO closes one.  Either way, you have eliminated possibilities and made a decision. No need for creativity or imagination…the decision has been made.

MAYBE is a bit more open to possibility. Unless you are just using it to be polite, MAYBE usually means you are still sorting out the pros and cons of one thing compared to another. Yet, ultimately the decision you feel you need to make is YES or NO. When the choice is finally made, your creativity and imagination are no longer needed for this particular issue.

But what if there is another choice you can make that actually creates possibilities? What if there is another answer that doesn’t force you to decide in favor of one thing and against another? What if there is a choice that supports creative thinking?

Is that even possible?

Yes, it is. 

And that choice option is ……AND and BOTH.

What?  That doesn’t sound like a choice!

Hold on a minute and let me give you an example of what using AND and BOTH as a choice looks like. 

Fifteen years after I graduated from college, I decided I wanted to get a Masters Degree. At the time, I was single, 10 years into a career and 100% responsible for my livelihood. When I applied to graduate school, I was advised that I would not be able to meet some of the time requirements of the program unless I quit my job.

I really wanted that degree, and I did not want to give up my career/job and tube my finances in order to get it. My choices seemed to be to choose my career or go for the degree. Neither solution appealed to me.

I was stuck there until I chose AND and BOTH.  When I did, I figured out a way to keep my job, career and finances intact AND also get my degree!

Putting my creativity and imagination to work, I opened up the possibility, and found a way to do it.  When I graduated, I was still employed with the same company and in good shape financially. All because I was willing to make my decision AND and BOTH.

So, are you willing to give AND and BOTH a try?  Here we go…

Think of decision you want to make but you have not yet been able to come up with a clear YES or NO. (Hint: Take a look at your MAYBE list and pick something that has been on it for a while.)

Now, summarize the issue into its two opposing options (i.e. I can do this or I can do that.)

Read over the issue and the two choices and then say, “How about AND and BOTH?”

Then let your imagination go to work, and see if you can come up with a possible solution you haven’t thought of before. 

You just may be able to have your cake…and eat it, too! 

Just Imagine That!