Life is full of hard choices, so it’s extremely important to contemplate the questions to ask yourself before making a major decision. Whether it’s a decision to buy a house or break up with your boyfriend, you have to think long and hard about the effects the decision will have on your life and the lives of those around you. Below are 9 questions to ask yourself before making a major decision; they’ll help guide you through the process of making a good and well thought out decision.
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1. What Are the Major Pros and Cons?
This is one of the top questions to ask yourself before making a major decision. You have to weigh in the pros and cons, because if the cons outweigh the pros, you may want to find another option. For example: you’re buying a new car, so the pros are that you’ll have transportation, and you’ll look cool, while the cons are that you’ll have to live paycheck to paycheck because of the expensive monthly payments. You have to take all of that into consideration and ask yourself what’s best. Would you rather live with a cool car with no food in the fridge or have a little money to work with, save up a little longer, and continue utilizing public transportation? It’s up to you and how you weigh your pros and cons.
2. How Will the Decision Make Me Feel about Myself?
This is another great question to ask yourself. How will you feel after you make the decision? Will you still like yourself? There are plenty of people who make decisions and don’t consider this. If possible, don’t make a decision that’ll make you feel inadequate, disappointed, or self-conscious afterward.
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3. What is Guiding My Decision: Mind or Heart?
Depending on your personality, you may make decisions with your mind or your heart (emotions). Follow the guidance of which ever has served you best. Meaning if the decisions made with your heart have been the most reliable in the past, go with it! Personally, I make decisions with my mind, because my heart is pretty deceptive and it gets me into lots of trouble. Listen to whichever has been most reliable.
To determine which inner voice to heed, reflect on your past experiences. If you find that rational thought has steered you in the right direction time and again, then let your intellect take the lead. However, don't dismiss your emotions — sometimes, an intuitive feeling can be surprisingly insightful. Ultimately, trust in the process that aligns with your true self. Remember, self-awareness is key in striking a balance between logic and emotion.
4. Does My Decision Line up with My Values?
When making decisions, do not forget to ask yourself this question! If your decision doesn’t match your personal spiritual, moral, or ethical values, you may want to reconsider your options. Many times those values play a huge role in how you feel about yourself after your decision. Consider your values when making your decision.
5. What Would My Role Model do?
A great way to guide your decision is to think about what your role model would do in your situation. Whether it’s you mom, an actor, or historic figure think about how the person you look up to would approach the decision. If the role model is close to you, you could even ask for their advice! Most good decisions are influenced by wise and life-experienced figures.
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6. How Will Others View My Decision?
Many people think you should always make your decisions regardless of what others think, but that’s not always the best thing to do. If others view your decision negatively, consider how that will make you feel and the effect it will have on how you view yourself. Which takes us to the next question.
7. Can I Logically and Honestly Defend My Decision?
When people judge your decision, will you be able to defend it? Believe me, if you can’t defend your decision, many insecurities could arise. It’s extremely important to think about how you will defend your decision before you make it. Try not to justify, but rather give an honest defense that’ll will be good enough for yourself; that way, if others ask you about your decision, you can be confident and comfortable with the reason you made the decision.
8. How Will My Decision Affect Others?
Another great factor to think about is how your decision will affect others. If your decision will harm others physically and or emotionally, you may want to reconsider, or find another option. Sometimes it’s easy to get blinded by our own wants and ignore others and how our decisions would make them feel. iIt could be hard to live with that decision, especially if someone else is suffering for it. Think about your friends, family, and community when making major decisions.
9. Will I Be Able to Sleep after the Decision is Made?
This has to be one of the most important questions to ask yourself when making a major decision. Will you be able to sleep soundly at night? When decisions don’t line up with your values, when you’re hurting others, or when you can’t defend your decisions, it’s more likely that you won’t be able to sleep comfortably. If you keep in mind the other 8 questions above, I’m pretty sure you‘ll sleep like a baby!
Making a good decision requires a lot of thought and I’m sure if you think about the good and bad of your decision, and let your values, mind, heart, and wise counsel guide you, you’re bound to make a good decision. These aren’t the only possible questions to ask yourself when making a major decision. Help me out! What are some questions you ask yourself before you make a decision?
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