Decisions are the cornerstone of what it means to be alive. Think of it – decision are made on a daily basis, and these decisions often bring us to another crossroads of decisions which brings us to yet another fork in the road and so forth. These decisions progress us through life and without them, living would be pretty stagnant and boring. Every day, we have an array of mundane choices to make such as: what am I going to have for dinner tonight? What am I going to wear to work? What movie should I watch at the theatres? Every once in a while, more important choices will come up abruptly and force you to deal with them soon. Hopefully, you will have some time to make a decision, but you can’t let it linger for too long. Decisions like: is this really person I want to marry? Is this the job I want to spend the rest of my life doing? All these choices and more, can be considered through steps. This is how to make decisions without regretting them:
Have a General Plan
What exactly we want as we progress through life might not be very clear, but we all have a sort of idea of what that might be. You have developed core values and a kind of vision that you intend for your life. Now, when faced with this great decision, which choice accommodates these values the most? And if none of the choices particularly abide by these beliefs, would you be willing to compromise them for this choice? These are some of the life aptitudes that you must consider when making these decisions.
Do Your Homework
Make sure you understand the full extent of the choices you are confronted with. This may mean that you have to look into it to fully understand the situation. Also, research can help you anticipate the outcomes of the choices. Make sure your sources are legitimate and use these facts as justification for your choice.
Balance the Pros and Cons
Making a list of pros and cons to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of a decision is on of the best ways to consider a choice. How great are the benefits? How catastrophic are the drawbacks? These pros and cons could be the prime deciding factor towards what choice you make. In both cases, they have to be realistic or likely to occur.
Contact a Friend
In times of need, there is no opinion more valuable than that of a trusted friend or family member. Give them insight with the research you had already done, show them your list of pros and cons, and you long-term plan you intend for your life. Perhaps you’re already leaning towards an option – let them know all of this. The input your friend will give you is calm and impartial, making for clearer thinking. Hopefully, this is a friend who often uses logic rather than impulsive emotion. Whatever their decision, it does not necessarily have to be your final decision, but it helps to have fresh perspective sway you.
Meditate on it
Prayer and meditation are sure fire ways to clear your mind and to relax into a deeper contemplation. If you follow a certain religion or philosophical view, you may be influenced by this to make your decision. This works in many great ways as well. Meditation and deep-thinking can allow you to tackle the issue on deeper levels. Also, you can imagine the rest of your life with either decision. If you find that you like what you see after realistically considering its implications, then it can drive you that much closer to making a choice. Rest assured, the answer will come to you eventually.
Try a Game of Chance
The most obvious form of this is a coin flip. Grab a quarter, assign each face to an option for the decision and flip the coin. You’ll probably find yourself to be on the edge of your seat subconsciously hoping that it lands on one side rather than the other. You may even feel disappointed when the coin doesn’t land on the choice you want. This makes you realize that you are really leaning on one decision and reveals your true desire. Now what you truly desire is not always the right choice, so you should decide what draws you to that decision and whether or not it is worth the trouble.
Decision Made, Have No Regrets
This decision was always yours to make, and if you took the proper steps and considerations, there should be no regret associated with the decision. We all know that we all have to make a decision, there is never a doubt about that. If you choose the lesser of the two evils or the better of the two goods, people will probably not blame you. So hold your head high with pride in your choice. It was always yours to make.
