Ever noticed how deciding what to do can feel harder than actually doing it? The pressure to get it right can be stressful in itself, and often the effort of choosing gets in the way of progress. A simple solution-focused move can eliminate that anxiety: use a scale.
Imagine a familiar 1–10 scale, with the two ends freshly defined for the conversation you’re in. Today’s 1 and 10 don’t have to match yesterday’s. You describe them in the moment, then assess: Where are you now? A 4 perhaps.
From here, rather than leaping to decisions about action, explore one point up: a 5. Project yourself into it:
What would you be doing differently at 5?
What would you notice; in your thinking, your behaviour, your stance?
What new viewpoints might open up?
What would others see or hear that tells them you’re at 5?
This is often more fruitful – and far less stressful – than trying to decide the action to take. Your exploration of one-point-up allows a refocus and a reminder of useful experiences and resources. Sometimes you discover that what first felt like a 4 is already edging into a 5. You’ve switched on a torch in the fog, revealing that you were further along than you realised.
What makes this possible is the SF stance that positions the client as the expert. With this kind of scaling, the conversation with your client, colleague or team becomes collaborative, appreciative. How come it’s as high as it is? What have you already done? Even lower numbers are no problem: they still uncover skills, resources and stories worth hearing.
Remember: the aim is rarely perfection. It’s good enough – progress towards a preferred outcome.
So, next time you or someone you’re supporting feels the pressure to decide, reach for a scale and step into the next point up. It’s remarkable how often that tiny shift dissolves the stress and restores momentum. You stop trying to make the perfect choice and start acting from a place of clarity and confidence. That’s when progress becomes almost effortless.