Skip to content

5 Steps to Making a Decision

2015 November 20
by WWGD

Screen Shot 2015-11-20 at 8.34.25 AMI had to make a tough decision at work this week.

I thought about it for a few days. I wrestled with the whys. I pondered the hows. I worried about the what ifs. And ultimately, I came to the right conclusion by going through five important steps that led me (and my worried mind) to a firm decision. Here they are, in case you ever need to work through one of your own:

  1. I looked in the mirror. I put on my objective hat and took a long, hard look at the situation and my role in it. I tried to examine the whole scenario from an outsider’s point of view and clearly identify my role in it so that long after it’s over, I can at the very least have some lesson to take away.
  2. I looked at the worst case scenario. I anticipated what this decision would mean to me, my business, my family…everything and everyone under the sun. I worried about the change and how it would impact my life and once I came to terms with the worst case scenario (which, realistically, won’t even happen), I was able to see it was still the best decision.
  3. I looked to the future. Will this matter in one week, one month, one year? I use this litmus test for a lot of decisions in my life – personal and professional – and it always gives me the dose of perspective I need to make the best call. And I looked to similar situations from the past, too (though thankfully there have been very few of them)…did it impact my life to make those choices the way I did? Only for the better.
  4. I looked around. I purposely took a few days to think about the scenario and to closely examine the other relationships and projects I have in my life. Guess what? They are all great. Healthy, happy, exactly what I strive for every day. And it helped me to realize this was a blip, just something that wasn’t meant to be. I looked to the good to help me come to terms with the bad.
  5. I looked to myself. Ultimately, my gut was telling me what to do all along. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to your instinct because it doesn’t pay the mortgage or feed the kids, but it’s there for a reason. And when I questioned why I was questioning the situation at all…it made the final decision for me. Sometimes in life we make choices for our family or our needs or our wants. And sometimes we have to make them for ourselves and nothing more. And that can make the toughest of choices the easiest ones of all.

And with that, my friends, I wish you a very happy end of the week…

One Response
  1. Karsha permalink
    November 20, 2015

    Ah! Such a good reminder about perspective. Thanks, Raluca!

Comments are closed.