Many of our roads have hairpin turns, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing of them all is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, we must make a choice as to which road to take. What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one that will lead us where we hope will be a happy destination? Some gamble and take the road that looks smoothest, others just stand at the crossroad unable to choose.
Here are 7 steps that could help you choose the best option when you encounter life’s crossroads:
1. There are no guarantees.
You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness.
Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness.
Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always good, even if you are highly qualified and competent. Why? There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.
2. Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.
Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not. Why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize whether it was the right one. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.
3. To take the risk you must decide.
Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo.
Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure that leads to more open roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid.
4. Get as much information as you can about your situation.
You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. When I was a news reporter, I asked the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why to determine the truth about a situation. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are they in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your own situation. This is so important that I still employ it. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.
5. Identify and create options.
What options does the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, sometimes they seem too numerous. And, what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work.
From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.
6. Weigh the pros and cons of every option.
Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.
7. Trust yourself and make that decision.
Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and you cannot undo decisions once they are set into motion. So choose, decide, and believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.
If you have applied these 7 steps to your current situation, you will have made a decision. Now, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But, the important thing is, you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision, only time will reveal but do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
To succeed at anything you only have to be right 51% of the time!
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