How do you know when the decision is the right one?

I had a note from a woman named Suzanne. She said:

I listened to your ADD class on decision making. Excellent!
I’m making a big decision now regarding returning to a career that I had retired from 18 years ago. Actually I am about 90% committed and would like to make a “clean decide.” In fact, when I was in the business before, and quite successfully, I always left a bit of the back door open. I wonder if it is ok to go forward even though I don’t have a 100% commitment.

Suzanne.
I’m glad you liked the class. And so, I’m pretty sure you know this, but I’m not a fortune teller. so I really can’t predict if you’ll be happy going back to your previous profession.

If you kept that back door open because you had a genuine thought that you might actually want to go back in, that’s different than leaving it open because you weren’t sure you were ready to close it.

That does not imply you should not go back. But it does ask what you think you’ll get by going back.

In my opinion, all meaningful work is about more than the money.
It might be a different decision, if you need the money to survive (if babies will die without it) (I love that you heard the class and get the reference without explanation!) If you’re just ready to work again after you’re kids are grown, well, that’s different, too.

So my questions would be:

  • What do you get from working?
  • What do you get from not working?
  • What do you loose if you work?
  • What do you loose if you don’t work?

One thing that I depend on when considering these kinds of important questions is my “one clear thought” in the morning. I think about the thing before I go to sleep. (sometimes that leads to not much sleep, but the morning does come!)

Then first thing, before I get out of bed, I think about the issue at hand.. and then pay very close attention to the conversation that pops up. For example, lately, my husband and I have been on a house hunting expedition. My first thought about a great property with a not so perfect house was: “You’ll have to do a lot to brighten that place with so few windows.” Everywhere I sit to work in my house has LOTS of windows. so.. the decision, for me, in this situation, is “don’t buy the house.”

I think only the very simplest of decisions are made with 100% surety. Yes, you definitely should brush your teeth in the morning. But everything is negotiable. So what ever choice you make today will affect tomorrow. Likely the very hardest part is not the deciding itself, but having the confidence in the decision so you do continually remake it. That leads to perseveration! It’s not useful.

What’s your one clear thought in the morning over your issue?
Drop me a note, I’d love to see how the process works for you.

Kerch