DECIDE HOW TO DECIDE, BEFORE YOU DECIDE.
If you are anything like me, every now and again you are faced with life altering decisions. Marriage, Career or Job Change, Start a Business, Change Direction in a Business, Move or Build, Adoption, and the list goes on. Making big decisions is difficult and can be paralyzing, but it doesn’t have to be. I offer two certainties:
Certainty No. 1: Only you can make the decision; and
Certainty No. 2: You will live the consequences of that decision – good or bad
“It’s not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are.”
Roy E. Disney
So how do we make the best decision with so much uncertainty? I won’t bore you with all of the cliché rules for making decisions because every person and situation is unique. I will say that you should know how to decide before you decide. Managing yourself through a process will save much weeping and gnashing of teeth. Take time to write down your own rules of engagement.
Here are mine:
- Is the decision biblically permissible and beneficial? If yes, proceed to No. 2
- Do I need to bet the farm or darn close to it? If no, proceed to No. 3
- Is this opportunity in alignment with my Life Perspective Filter: Core Values, Experience, Talents, Heart, Risk Tolerance, Thinking Wavelength, and Internal Wiring? If yes, proceed to No. 4
- Is there a clear exit strategy for best and worst case scenarios? If yes, proceed to No. 5
- And last but most important – Is my wife on board? If yes, I’m clear to proceed.
What are your rules of engagement for decision-making and why are they important to you?
