The time has come to make a big decision.  It may have been prompted by a variety of circumstances.

Maybe you’ve been searching for an opportunity for what seems like forever, and you’ve nothing to show for it.  You’re considering whether to make a bold move in a dramatic new direction.

Or maybe,  you have too many opportunities…

All of them might be appealing, and each have potential in their own unique way.  Unfortunately, you can’t pursue them all.  As it stands, you may feel like the veritable dog chasing after a bunch of rabbits.

Every situation is different, but when it comes to big decisions they all present similar challenges:

• Awareness of uncertainty
• Actualizing due diligence in weighing alternatives
• Actually making the decision
• Acting upon the decision
• Accepting the decision
• Assessing the decision and its aftermath
• Applying your learnings to future decisions

Some of these challenges could appear pretty daunting from the outset.  How can they best be approached?  I think, as is often the case, the beginning is the most important part.

To examine this, let’s consider a metaphor.  Imagine you’re on a long winding road.  There are tall rock walls standing between the curves, and you can’t see what’s happening up ahead.

What do you do?

If I was on this metaphorical road, the first thing I’d do is keep an eye open for the signs.  Like in the picture above, there could be a sign that indicates an upcoming slippery area, a quick slowdown, or even a sudden stop.

If you’ve never been on that road before there’s no way of knowing what’s ahead aside from watching for the signs, and using the provided direction to prepare accordingly.

Life is like that too.  Change can happen really, really fast.  There are so many factors outside our control that it can be very difficult to predict when, where, and how that change is going to happen.

Not to say that change is bad.  If you have the right mindset, it can often be very good – refreshing, exciting, and a strong catalyst for growth, among other things.

That said, it’s arguable that it’s good to have at least an idea of what’s in store if possible.

And that’s the key.

Often, the signs are there if you know what to look for.  It’s sometimes possible to get an inkling of what’s on the horizon and prepare accordingly.

With all this talk of “signs” we may sound like we’re getting a bit esoteric or metaphysical at this point.  That’s not the intent.  For the purposes of this article a sign could be any number of real-world, pragmatic things:

• A strong personal proclivity to one thing over another
• A sudden recognition of the accelerated development of particular skillsets
• How those skillsets fit in with an opportunity on the horizon
• A gut feeling about something or someone that just won’t go away
• Some recent news, and cognizance of how it fits in with the whole picture

Of course, there are many others, but it’s important to put a few examples out there on the table before we proceed.

Over the years, I’ve developed some simple steps that I take when approaching big decisions.  They are all rooted in the idea of keeping an eye open for signs like those above.

A lot of the steps have to do with training your awareness to become sensitized to them.  It’s recognition that they can come in many forms, on many levels, and from many sources.  It’s a matter of understanding what they mean.  It’s a consideration of how all the pieces fit together.  And finally, it’s the act of using all of this to make appropriate decisions when the time is right.

In successive articles we will look at becoming more aware of and receptive to these types of signs.

We’ll consider ways to use them in the decision-making process.

Finally, we’ll look at ways to positively view a decision after making it, learn from it, utilize the results, and pursue peace of mind.

How do you approach big decisions?  Do you think things through carefully?  Or do you “fly by the seat of your pants” and “shoot from the hip?”  Please comment below, and we can discuss!

Photo Credit:
Earl Walker © 123RF.com
wakr10 / 123RF Stock Photo