Is it time to change careers? Get a degree? Relocate? Maybe you have a job offer but the company is farther away than you want to commute–will it be worth it?
You’ve probably heard that not deciding is also a decision. Sometimes, strategic nonaction can be very smart, provided it involves target dates and benchmarks for revisiting a decision.
Which will eventually bring you back to the original problem: How will you decide to change careers or relocate or take a job that is farther away than you planned to commute?
One way to tackle tough choices is to apply a decision-making process. Start by answering these questions:
– What is the decision I am trying to make?
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– By what date must this decision be made?
– What information am I missing?
If I don’t decide, or decide not to act at this time, what opportunity am I giving up?
Assuming that the first decision is clear–which is that a larger decision needs to be made–the next step is to apply a decision-making strategy to the question.
When paths or lines in our lives cross, they form a new intersection or opportunity. Will you have this opportunity again?
List everything you can about the decision. Label one side “short term” and the other one “long term.” Now list the pluses and minuses as they would fall into those timeframes.
For example, if you were deciding to return to school while working, the short-term pluses might be few, while the long-term pluses might include increased earning power or a new career. The short-term minuses could include everything from tight finances to loss of control over your rebellious teenager while you’re at school. The long-term minuses might be few, or they could reveal a whopper, such as the chance your kid could end up in juvenile hall.
The next step is to evaluate the long-term gains vs. the short-term struggle, then factor in the long-term costs. When looking at the short- and long-term costs, ask yourself, “How likely is that to happen?” and “What steps can I take to prevent that from happening?”
Imagine yourself in the situation, then compare that image with a picture of yourself if you don’t take this option. Make your scenarios by writing, drawing or talking them out with a friend.
In each case, put yourself a year or more into the future, and describe how your life has changed. What are the positive outcomes? The hardships? What problems are you encountering in your scenario and how will you solve them? What new opportunities are opening up since you made this choice?
Whatever process you choose, put a deadline on your decision-making. Often the worst thing is not an unmade decision, but a half-made decision. Think it over, make a choice, take the leap. And don’t worry about getting it wrong. Decisions are like buses–there’ll be another one coming around the corner soon enough.