Meet Judy Goldberg

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Judy Goldberg. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Judy, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re very focused on here – improving our ability to make decisions. Everyday, we’re faced with decisions that can impact the future of our careers, businesses, relationships and more and so one of the most impactful areas for personal development, in our view, is decision-making. Can you talk to us about how you developed or improved your decision-making skills?

Growing up as an emotional kid, I often made decisions based on my feelings. My mom remembers how I would excuse myself to my room when emotions ran high, recognizing that alone time was a smart choice to avoid negatively impacting others. This early understanding of decision-making shaped my approach as I matured.

My fascination with decision-making deepened through stories from my dad, a pilot, who recounted how his instructor challenged him to fly into a storm rather than turning around to learn the navigation skills he would need to become a successful pilot. This taught me that sometimes initial decisions need to be examined and challenged for a reason. Over the years, I’ve explored various decision-making frameworks, utilizing tools like level of agreement cards to encourage team discussions and decision trees for structured choices.

Observing my sister’s parenting also influenced my thinking. She fostered ownership in her son by offering him choices, like deciding whether to shower before or after dinner—a principle I’ve seen effective in leadership. Techniques like multi-voting in workshops increases ownership in participants by giving them a voice with their vote, which in turn facilitates a quicker narrowing down to get to decisions with a group.

For major life choices, I often relied on simple decision-making models like the pro-con template, whether it was moving to London to take on a new role, moving to New York to move through my cancer journey or starting my own business. I learned that decisiveness is vital; the in-between stage can be exhausting. Committing to a decision, even if you don’t have everything figured out, propels you toward addressing subsequent important choices.

One specific example is when I launched WONDERSHIFT on October 1, 2015, after two years of contemplation. The journey was an emotional rollercoaster—some days I questioned my sanity, while on others I felt completely in flow. I spent significant time alone to think, write, and reflect, and also time with others to share, network, be challenged, and discover incredible partners and champions who encouraged me to go for it. It was an exercise in self awareness which revealed what still needed to be evolved and where I was ready.

Here are some key lessons I learned when facing big decisions:

1. Simple Decisions: Launch and adjust—you don’t have to get it perfect; just get it started.
2. Intuitive Decisions: Pay attention to what lights you up and trust your gut; if something feels right, it probably is.
3. Time and Energy Management: Balance ‘go slow’ and ‘go fast’ days, and when faced with a NO, seek to understand more before aiming for a YES.
4. People Choices: Evaluate who you spend your time with, identifying multipliers, champions, and competitors.
5. Research. Take the time to learn more about what you are pursuing so that you can make an informed decision.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Starting WONDERSHIFT taught me the significance of decisiveness, intuition, energy management, relationship evaluation, and technical proficiency. My journey reinforced that while frameworks and models are helpful, sometimes a resonating message or an internal calling is what drives us to make impactful decisions.

About My Business

My business is about shift—shifting minds, behaviors, teams, strategy, leadership styles. I partner with clients to turn their “I wonder” questions into actionable plans, synthesizing and simplifying the way forward. I thrive on problem-solving and opportunity-seeking, working closely with leaders and executive teams to map out strategic plans that align with their mission and values.

Exciting New Ventures:

– Wake Up and Wondershift Journal
– Wake Up and Wondershift Retreat
– Wake Up and Wondershift Journal Jumpstarts
– Shift + Shine Summer Sessions

The Wake Up and Wondershift series has been impactful across generations and genders, helping individuals and teams navigate transitions effectively. It’s about cutting through the noise and addressing what truly matters for each person.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are:

Curiosity:
My desire to learn and explore keeps me engaged and open-minded. This curiosity fuels my interest in everything I do—whether researching something new, collaborating with a team, or wandering through new cities on “wonder walks.” By allowing my curiosity to guide me, I know I’ll continue to grow.

Advice:
Keep a journal and regularly write down questions about topics that intrigue you. This practice deepens your curiosity and encourages exploration. Additionally, always have a thoughtful question ready to ask anyone you meet. Even changing your daily routine can spark new insights.

Synthesizing Skills:
The ability to connect and integrate diverse pieces of information is essential. This skill allows me to distill noise and complexity into actionable insights in both my personal and professional life. This skill also helps to simplify the decision-making process into manageable actions.

Advice:
Practice summarizing information from books, conversations, or experiences. Listen for key and repeatable words. Create mind maps to visually organize thoughts, which can enhance clarity and help capture highlights.

Building an Eclectic Network:
The people I surround myself with greatly shape who I am. By listening to and observing the range of human emotions, quirks, and stories, I continually learn and expand both my mind and heart, and I can be intentional about making decisions in a way that honors the people involved.

Advice:
Focus on building relationships by actively listening to others. Attend events, join groups, or participate in discussions that expose you to different viewpoints. This will enhance your emotional intelligence and remind you that everyone has a story and lived experiences we can learn from.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

As a practitioner of Getting Things Done, I appreciate how the founder, David Allen, describes “Mind Like Water.” This concept refers to a mental and emotional state where your mind is clear, allowing for creativity and responsive action without distractions.

The idea is that your mind should be clear, like a still pond. When you throw a pebble into the pond, it creates small ripples. Once the ripples settle, the pond returns to calmness. A larger rock creates bigger ripples that take longer to settle, yet eventually it returns to tranquility.

When I feel overwhelmed, I visualize the state of my pond and take a deep breath or sigh. Then, I tune into my body to notice any tension, fatigue, or a racing heart, which usually signals I need to move – whether it’s taking a walk, dancing around, or shaking it off. Nine times out of ten this helps reduce the emotional ripple.

If the overwhelm stems from spinning mental clutter, my first move after a deep breath or sign is to write anything and everything down on paper without filtering. This “mind sweep” helps clear my mind and allows me to see what is taking up space. From here, I can determine the next best action to settle my overwhelm.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wondershift.biz/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondershift_llc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wondershiftLLC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judygoldberg11/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wondershift