Right decision?

What is a ‘right’ decision?

Action/s that take us to a desired outcome?…or action/s that take us to the best outcome? Or is a 'right' decision the best possible action/s based on the situation & circumstances?

The fact is that we will never know if it is the 'right' decision until we have taken the decision….until we have experienced living the decision, the outcomes of our actions in

play, and their impact further on.

Anything, absolutely anything until then is an estimate, a calculation of probabilities, an alignment of cause and effect…or in better words a ‘best guess’.

Here’s what I learnt, with my big life decisions …the decision to begin a new life in a new country after having spent almost four decades in my homeland…the decision to move away from a commercial/ corporate career…and some more life changing decisions.

• Life decisions are not data based and cannot be forecasted. At best you will have a pattern and probabilities of possible outcomes & impact of outcomes.

• Where decisions are linked to several sequenced actions....most likely there will be external/ out of control circumstances. Some of them you will be able to plan for and some will be unknown….remember ‘best laid plans’ also fail.

• Not taking action is also a decision and a conscious decision. The decision not to act is in no way a wrong decision.

So, what can we do to make the best possible life decisions?

1. Align your decision to what matters to you. What experiences are you looking for in your life? Is this decision going to bring you closer to the experiences you wish to have? …or take you further away.

2. Are your action/s aligned with your ( personal) values? If you are violating any of your values, the probability is that you will not be able to follow through the decided actions.

3. What are the risks and the potential sacrifices? Are you prepared to take on the journey?

4. What is your resilience to deal with negative outcome/s?

5. Who else is impacted by the decision? What is their capacity to manage the change. …do you require a buy in here?

6. And, what does your gut say?

Once you have a decision, follow through your actions with full faith. Faith has very important role to play in the success of your actions….the more you believe in the strength of your actions, the higher is the probability of seeing through the actions.

Once you have taken action, celebrate yourself for taking a tough life decision...for taking action. Your life decisions are about taking charge and having the courage to steer your future to the direction that you like and to bring you closer to the experiences you desire.

And finally, do not evaluate the quality of the decision by the outcome…evaluate your decision by the situation and circumstances in which the decision was made and the the options that were available to you. You will never be disappointed! The outcome may not be the desired outcome…it will definitely be the best possible outcome.

Now, what life decision have you been holding off??