Life choices create our future. They can be who we build relationships with, the career we choose, how we spend our money, and the values and beliefs we live by. Many daily decisions require minimal thought but significant life choices need intentional focus. This may be a career move, buying or selling a house, beginning or ending a relationship, evaluating educational options, placing loved ones in a full-time care facility, or choosing treatment for a medical condition.
We develop personal decision-making styles and strategies for making choices. Choosing not to decide on something is also a decision made.
When faced with a life-changing choice consider the following;
1) Is the timing right for this decision?
I recall the day I was mowing the lawns of my property and a wheel fell off the mower. I began to question where the wheels were falling off in areas of my life. The time was right to re-evaluate some life choices. 2) How will I feel if this decision doesn’t produce the desired result?
Some decisions did not deliver as planned, but I’ve consistently experienced positive change with a new life choice. Expectations can dissolve into disappointment - be open to an alternative decision to achieve the desired outcome.
3) Will I look back on this decision with confidence that I made the best choice with the information available?
We cannot know all the answers to support a decision but we need to be aware of any consequences of our life choices.
Sometimes, making one choice will open up opportunities we were not aware were available to us.
4) Does this decision impact others? When family members or work associates are involved in the outcome of a decision, honest communication is essential. Some choices will not cater to everyone’s preferences - strategic discussions may be required.
A decision-making strategy I use with clients is the Pros/Cons and POI exercise. With paper and pens they list the positives about the decision in one column (PROS), the negatives in the next (CONS), and a third column titled Point of Interest (POI). A point of Interest is anything that may influence the decision-making process.
Visualising different aspects of a decision allows you to make a better-informed choice. Interestingly it is often the POI list that brings clarity to the decision-making. Points of interest frequently reflect the underlying motivation to commit to a decision and identify any resistance we feel about making the decision.
“The art of decision-making includes the art of questioning.” Pearl Zhu
Trish
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