Sometimes, life offers you tricky choices where two or more options appear equally good or bad. This causes you to get stuck in inaction, usually the worst possible scenario. Being confused about the right course of action, you lose valuable resources, e.g. money, opportunities and time. Here, I shall share my perspective on making difficult decisions in life to help you spare yourself the agony of inaction.
There is no perfect outcome
You must accept the cold, hard truth that there is no perfect outcome, no ‘happily ever after’. Life is a journey; no matter your path, there shall be hurdles. The type of problems, their frequency and severity may vary, but you will suffer nonetheless. For instance, a salaried man may have persistent issues with authority, which motivate him to start his own business. But that’s not a cakewalk, for it brings a whole new set of problems. One has to make the difficult decision of choosing between freedom and peace of mind. If you try to have both, you may end up having neither.
One way to deal with such dilemmas is to look within and weigh the choices, and determine what you prioritise the most. This brings me to the next point – making difficult decisions by carefully judging the ‘price’ and ‘value’ of available choices.
Price and Value
Price is what you pay, value is what you get – Warren Buffet
The above quote refers to the price and value of stocks, but it can also be applied to other sectors of life. For every difficult decision you make, you gain and lose something in terms of money, time, honour, peace of mind etc. What you lose is the price, and what you gain is the value. If getting a higher-paying job (value) comes with the hefty ‘price’ of losing your social circle and peace of mind, one could say that the ‘price’ of this choice is not worth the value it provides. If preserving an unhappy relationship stifles your growth and well-being, the price is not worth the value.
Evidently, the concept of price and value encompasses every decision you make, every step you take and everything that happens to you. Sometimes, letting go of people and things that hinder you is crucial.
You cannot please everyone
One of the bits of ancient wisdom that has always guided me in my endeavours is that you cannot make everyone happy simultaneously. You cannot even please one person all the time. There will be some bone of contention between two individuals or entities. You may have observed this in day-to-day life as conflicts of interest between close friends, family and others.
7 tips to make difficult decisions in life
Having stated my perspective, I shall now offer advice that may help you resolve your dilemmas and make difficult decisions in life.
1. You must understand that only rational thought and action can guide you well. Your emotions, be it love, hate, attraction, repulsion, pride, anger, fear, obsession, or possessiveness, will cause you to act irresponsibly and to your detriment.
2. Everything in life has a price. What’s important is whether you can afford it and whether the value it offers is worth the price.
3. Choose your company well. Your companions affect your life significantly more than you may think.
4. Strive to be self-dependent. Having supportive people in your life is good, but it is better to be able to stand alone. For you never know what life has in store for you. Besides, solitude has a lot to offer.
5. Learn to handle criticism constructively. Occasionally, it arises from mala fide intentions. Therefore, you need to develop a bit of thick skin.
6. Respect must be earned, not taken for granted. Besides human dignity, any quantum of respect has to be deserved. No one should expect respect simply for their existence. Indeed, one’s actions should dictate how much respect he deserves.
7. Love yourself before you aspire to love others. However, do not mistake the love for oneself as narcissism.
Conclusion
Life is full of tricky situations where you often fail to make the right decision or any decision at all. You may seek help and advice from others. But ultimately, only you can make the right decision. I hope this article provides you with clarity on how to make the difficult decisions in your life.