Tahmi Thinks | Making Choices

Life is all about decisions, decisions for yourself, decisions to help others. But how do you know if you have made the right decision.. that's the real question. Reality is, you never really know. With any choice in life, there are always repercussions. Sometimes you have to make decisions that can be tough, but the long term consequences are worth it. Sometimes these decisions turn out to be a disaster. But at the same time, you have to do what you think is the best choice at the time. Below I talk through a few tips to help the decision making process, especially in difficult situations.

*Disclaimer: Making choices is a very broad topic, it is very much so context dependent, so take what I say with a pinch of salt. Another disclaimer, this may turn into a bit of a ramble so be prepared for some haphazardness and lack of fluidity in this post. Much appreciated guys :D x

First things first, you have to do what is best for you. Yes, again this is dependent on situation, but sometimes you do have to be a bit selfish and do what is best for your wellbeing. And that is not me saying do what is best for you at the detriment to others, this is about putting your mental and emotional health at the forefront of everything, especially if it is harming you. We will always go through hurdles and our own struggles in life but the way we respond and react to the situation is what will either work to our advantage or disadvantage. 

What happens when you don't know what decision to make? I know I have definitely had experiences like this in different aspects of my life. The situation may not be so straight forward, or there may be emotional or mental circumstances that make it harder to make a decision. This is when you may seek advice from other people, but be wise about who you seek help from. One thing you will realise as you go through life is that some people only want to know your business for the sake of knowing, whereas there are others who actually care to help you in your situation. Personally, when it comes to my own problems, I don't share with anyone and everyone, except very close family members and/or friends for genuine advice. But in saying that, it is also very important to be aware of this following statement - as much as we like to get the best advice from the people we trust and value, taking in too many opinions can actually cloud and confuse our decision, and act to our detriment. So be careful of asking for too many peoples' advice and do not overthink and over complicate things.

It is very easy to be influenced when making decisions as you listen to others for advice, but one thing you ought to aim for is to be as true to yourself as possible. Make sure your decision is reflective of yourself. We all have our own morals and values, and ensuring that we stay in line with these is very important. It is very easy to get sidetracked but ask yourself "does this sit well with me?", "does this work in the best interests of everyone involved?". If any of these are questioned, perhaps look at re-evaluating your decision. 

Another aspect of the decision making process is listening to your gut instinct. A lot of the time, we may let emotions etc cloud our judgement and we ignore what our logic says. I think one thing a lot of us can vouch for is that our intuition is usually right but a lot of the time we question ourselves and change our mind 100 times before we end up coming back to our first decision anyways. Your gut instinct can help clarify a decision, so listen to it. And regardless, whether it ends up being the right or wrong decision, it is a learning curve regardless.

When trying to make a decision on a particular situation, always try and look at which option gives you the best opportunity. It may be a better opportunity for yourself, it may be for someone else. Regardless, seek out the pros and cons and be mindful of all of these reasons. Weigh the benefits to see whether a particular outcome is worth it. But at the same time, you do have to think about taking risks and being uncomfortable to grow. For example, I dread going to networking events, but I have made a conscious decision to start going to them more and open myself up to these uncomfortable situations in order to develop myself personally and open up opportunities. The more I went, the easier it got. It is still a working progress but I had to step outside of my comfort zone in order to experience the unknown. This "risk" can work in your favour or not, but you would never know unless you try. If you would like a post on taking risks, let me know in the comments below!

One thing to understand regardless of what decision is made and the outcome of that, is trust the process. I cannot stress this one enough. A lot of the time, we think "what if I do this instead..?" or "what if I had done this differently?". Yes it is wise to reflect on your decisions but it is also important to just trust the process because whatever will be will be. One key thing to remember is that failure is part of the process, so go with the flow and assess it from there. 

How do you make choices in your life? Are you a more logical person or do you think more with your emotions? Have you got any tips to share with others and what helps you make a good decision?