Learn the 5 steps to making a good life decision

Making important life decisions can be stressful and prolonged indefinitely. As with everything, we need to approach this too with our heads and seriously. After all, important decisions are not made for fun and define our lives. How can you reduce stress as much as possible and help yourself make the choice that best suits your situation and is consistent with you and your needs? Here are five steps to go through before making your final choice!

Find out what your options are
Often emotions blind us to the whole range of solutions. We then only see part of or even just one solution and think it is the one we have to bet on. Sometimes it is worth pausing for a moment, taking a deep breath and trying to approach the issue more objectively and breaking it down into its constituent parts. Then it may turn out that, beyond the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ decisions, there are other alternatives, perhaps more suited to our situation. It is very important to find as many paths as you can take, as this brightens your picture of the whole situation and helps to de-stress.

List the pros and cons
Once you have a list of possible displacements, lean over it and for each one write down all the relevant pros and cons. In this way, you will have time to think about each one and discover possible previously unseen consequences linking to each choice. By writing out the problem in this way, you will have a complete picture of what you can undertake and on what terms. This also has another advantage: you have a stopping point in case a decision turns out not to be as good as you would like it to be. You will then always be able to pursue what you have decided, regardless of any obstacles.

Get advice
You can talk to people who have already faced choices similar to yours and find out what they would choose if they were you. You can also seek advice from people who are experienced in life, who can advise you on whether what you think is the best option today might turn out to be a shot in the foot in the future. People who are more experienced and have been through a lot in life can brighten your picture and broaden your horizon. They can advise you on what to keep in mind and how certain choices will affect your future life. You can also learn from their mistakes and learn from their stories.

Find out what you really need
Often, what we think we need is something completely different to what we really need. This happens through hubris, emotion or ignorance of the subject. Find out as much as you can about what you really need and how you can get it. This way, you will be able to discard choices that don’t fit your needs at all and arrange the others so that they reflect what you care about. In this way, you will choose more consciously and gain confidence that the choice is up to you alone.

Agree with yourself how much you are willing to sacrifice
Every major decision involves sacrifices. Whether it’s moving house, changing your studies or even buying a new swimsuit, every major decision has consequences. Analyse your choices in terms of whether you are able to sacrifice the required amount of money, time or work to achieve your goal. If you do this, you will gain a clear picture of whether you are making choices you can bear and whether you can afford to make them.