Did you know there are unique and free, must-have shoes for your wardrobe?
They complement everything better than any others you own.
However, sometimes they are not really comfortable and actually feel a bit constricting.
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And yet, they are an absolutely essential accessory, day or night, at home or at work, or for casual or formal affairs.
These are your Walk Away Shoes.
If you are familiar with Dave Ramsey, you have heard the term “walk away power.”
He uses it in regards to getting great bargains on items that you want that are a great fit for what you need.
Simply put, it is your rational mind winning out over your emotional heart.
It’s what gives you the ability to offer great advice to your friends, yet what you sometimes ignore when making your own decisions.
For example, have you ever been shopping and been so taken by the HUGE DEAL being offered that you just couldn’t say no?
Once you got home with your treasure and let a little time pass, you discovered it was more of a pumpkin than a glorious coach.
Perhaps you need to find a new job, and you say yes to one that sounds exciting.
Again, as time passes, you realize you were swept away by the glamour and now have obligated yourself to something that is a poor fit.
Don’t you just hate when that happens?
Having your Walk Away Shoes on allows you to put your Emotional Self on mute so you can clearly hear your Rational Self.
This doesn’t mean that you have to turn into a boring and robotic decision maker.
Au contraire! It’s a matter of changing your perspective:
The concentration is not on getting that adrenaline rush from the search, or the shopping, or the solution-finding, but getting that hit of joy and satisfaction later every time you savor the results of your great decision.
To help you experience gratitude for the choices you’ve made rather than cringe-inducing guilt and remorse, here are the three steps so you can create your very own Walk Away Shoes.
The 3 Easy Steps
1. Gather quality information
As Seneca wrote long ago, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Know the average retail price, characteristics and possible problems of the item you want, whether it’s a piece of clothing, a tool, or a house. Learn where the bargain sites are, online and off. If you are looking for a job, gather intel on how the company treats their employees, a true picture of regular responsibilities, and the opportunity for advancement or higher pay. If you are buying a house, learn all you can from others. If you are buying items for your home, know your room measurements, colors, etc. If you are shopping for clothes, make sure your closet is organized so you know what you already have, and learn what looks and feels best on you.
When you gather quality information, you will get a much bigger and clearer picture of what is available, and how it might—or might not—fit into what you want and/or need.
2. Set parameters and stick to them
We have all felt the siren call of desire coupled with our ability for instant justification, all tied together with the big bow of pride. Who among us hasn’t admired that adorable dress that just doesn’t fit quite right, but it’s so amazing and it’s such a deal, or felt the pull of keeping up with our friends and family so we’ll buy this boat because it will be something we can enjoy together, or craved the perfect job that has a longer commute than I wanted but I’m sure it will be worth it.
How often do we succumb only to be so sorry later, after the dress has gone unworn, the boat has busted the budget, or the commute has worn us out?
When you set parameters, especially in relationship to your overall goals, you are drawing a line in the sand. This line will keep your emotions from writing a check that your rational self can’t cover.
3. Create emotional distance
Have you ever said anything in the heat of the moment you were sorry for later? Me either. 🙂 Have you ever promised something in an emotional moment? Uh huh. We get lost in the emotional thicket of our present, and allow that to guide short-term decision making. Remove yourself physically from the situation and take more time to mull over the information. Often putting physical distance between you and the decision/situation allows for space for emotional distance, too. Take time to pray, or to meditate on your individual parameters for this decision and whether it aligns with your overall goals. Here is a simple and powerful exercise to create that emotional distance without even leaving your chair. Need help first setting up goals for an amazing marriage and life? Read this.
Trying to make a quality decision in the midst of heavy emotion is like trying to say no when your mom offers her fresh from the oven, homemade chocolate chip cookies to you.
Just not going to happen.
When you make each of these steps a habit, you will have created your custom-fit Walk Away Shoes, and you will find you are able to make more and better decisions with less stress and more joy.
Our freedom can be measured by the number of things we can walk away from. ~Vernon Howard
Question: What do you see as the biggest benefit of having Walk Away Shoes?
Original Photo credit: Jesslee Cuizon
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