In any major transition, there are many decisions to make. Follow these best practices for making good decisions:
- Reflect on the situation.Identify pro’s and con’s or strengths and weaknesses. Make a t-chart, so it’s easy to see.
- Never did a T-chart before? Take a piece of paper, and draw a BIG “T” on it: the top of the T is the title, or the issue at hand. The left side of the page is Pro’s, or reasons why this is a good idea/strategy; the right side of the page is for Con’s, or why not. See which side has more entries, and which ones are more powerful
- Remove yourself from the situation. What advice would you give to someone else if they were having the same experience?
- Project to the future.If you had to explain your choices to your children when they are adults, how would you feel about the choice that you made?
- Mentally make the decision first. Once the decision is made, sleep on it. Give it a day or two to settle. If you feel comfortable and at ease, chances are you made the right choice and act on it. If you do not feel comfortable or at ease, then acknowledge that your inner voice, or that knot in your stomach is giving you a sign that it is not the right choice—do not act on it. Consider another choice. Go back to #1, and start again.
- If repeating #1-#4 doesn’t yield a satisfactory settlement, then call in some extra help. Go talk with a professional counselor, therapist, or clergy. If you are this conflicted, close friends might not provide an objective point of view.
