We’ll all been there. Making major life decisions can feel overwhelming. Should you stay in your current job or pursue that exciting opportunity? End a relationship or try to work through challenges? Relocate to a new city or stay put? Big decisions like these have no easy answers. However, by better understanding your mindset and aligning your choices with your core values, you can make sound decisions even when facing uncertainty.
Before making any major decision, take time to examine your current mental and emotional state. Are you feeling stressed, anxious, angry, sad or fearful? These states may cloud your judgment. For example, at my coaching practice, when my clients experience a dilemma between two or three topics, I use an Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Technique to bring awareness and clarity to unhelpful thought patterns.Â
It’s also essential to recognize that your conscious and unconscious mind work in tandem. There may be hidden biases, assumptions or motivations beneath the surface influencing your decision making. Slow down and try to bring these to light. Understanding the interplay between your conscious and unconscious will lead to greater self-knowledge.
Making a major life change means moving toward something that resonates with your values while moving away from something that doesn’t. When faced with a difficult choice, take time to get very clear on your core values and priorities in life. What’s truly important to you?
Make a list of your top values – things like creativity, family, spirituality, adventure, stability, career growth, etc. How does each potential choice align with your values? This will provide critical insight. While there will always be trade-offs, choosing the path that best reflects your authentic self will lead to fulfillment.
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Your analytical mind is important, but sometimes your intuitive gut instinct knows best. For example, I quiet my thoughts through meditation or time in nature. Does one choice make you feel expansive, energized and aligned? Does the other contract your energy and leave you with a sense of doubt? That intuitive hit provides powerful guidance.
Trust in your inner wisdom. For very difficult choices, taking a “leap of faith” may be required. Have the courage to make a choice from your heart without knowing the exact outcome.
Life requires making choices that close some doors and open others. With self-awareness, values alignment and courage, you can make decisions with minimal regret, even when the way forward seems unclear. Trust in your ability to choose wisely.
As Bertrand Russell says “the hardest thing in life is knowing which bridges to cross and which to burn”. But with an insightful decision making process, you’ll gain the wisdom to make choices that ultimately serve your highest good.
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"The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn."
Bertrand Russell
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