Have you ever reached a crossroad where a business or career decision needs to be made and both choices have merit? What process(es) do you use to make the right decision? I am in that situation right now, so it is on my mind.
In many cases, there is no true right or wrong decision. Rather, I have come to believe that they are merely choices that we face. Stay still, turn right or turn left – that’s it. Even not making a choice is a choice! Regardless of the decision made, you will either remain stagnant or head on a path with new landscape and new opportunities. It is how we respond after making these choices that really make a difference.
If we fail to make a choice, we may be left wondering what could have happened. If we make a choice and look back questioning it, then we essentially are as stagnant as if we hadn’t decided at all. In looking back and wondering, we do not give the choice we made, our new path, its proper attention – and therefore reduce the amount of success we will have on that path. The key is to make a choice and make the most out of it. Leave the rejected choice in the dust, as a mere fact with no emotion attached, if possible. Moving forward and making the most out of what is in front of a person will create success. Looking back will only create regret.
I am a Christian and a writer at heart, so it helps me to get quiet and pray. Then I write down my immediate thoughts on each choice. There are potentially three or more choices, as I mentioned above - since making no choice is always an option. The first thing I do is write down how each choice would make me feel. This is my gut response. I get the emotional part out of the way. Then I write down the facts and attributes of selecting each choice. I will eliminate one by placing a big X over it. Moving forward, the correct choice usually stands out. I quickly make the decision and get myself behind it 100%. I own my choices. That doesn’t mean that the choices are permanent – but I try not to wallow in the decision-making process. Down the road, I can always make another choice.
I’ve made both good and bad choices; the bad ones could, and probably will fill a book. But bottom line – a lesson I have learned is to simply make the decision and move forward. Don’t be stagnant, locked in the static of indecision or regret – and above all – please do not sell yourself short.