5 sure-fire ways to make the right decision
Weighing up a big decision in your career?
You may be considering what you want next or how to reach the next stage in your career. Perhaps you’re wondering whether to stay — or go — in your current role or career.
Whatever your situation, finding yourself at a career crossroads can be challenging.
You feel pressure to make a decision — and quickly. Then end up going round and round in circles out of fear of making the ‘wrong’ choice.
Decision-making is a complex topic, especially when it involves big, life-changing decisions related to your career. And everyone has a different approach.
I feel it’s important to have a clear strategy and consider myself fairly risk averse. Still, pondering a decision for days or weeks on end makes me uncomfortable. I tend to make choices quickly and act on them immediately!
Others closest to me prefer to think through their choices carefully, researching and analysing every possibility before committing. Some find it difficult to make a decision at all. At times, waiting too long can cost them an opportunity.
I believe there’s no such thing as a ‘wrong’ career decision — but there are practical steps you can take to make the right choices for you.
Here are five ways to find clarity and make the right career decisions, every time.
WAY #1 — FIND SPACE
It’s difficult to make decisions when you’re overwhelmed or are prioritising everyone and everything else before yourself. If you’re struggling to find clarity, start with self-care and take a break.
Then, when you’re feeling less frazzled, give yourself some time and space to make a decision. Slow down and let go of the pressure to decide right now. Change up your environment, get outside in nature, move — whatever it takes to clear your mind.
Recently a client shared they’d been wrestling an important professional decision for many weeks. After carving out some time and space for themselves, the answer became clear. All within a matter of days!
Because when begin by creating space, you will find clarity and make the right career choices.
WAY #2 — REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
Every day you’re inundated by offers, opportunities and requests for your time. Not only is this exhausting, but you’re spending valuable time and energy trying to make decisions based on other people’s agendas, opinions or ideas.
The problem with making decisions from this place is your choices are based on what you think you ‘should’ or have’ to do — rather than in line with what you want. An important part of decision making is muting the ‘noise’ and removing these distractions. This starts by setting boundaries and finding some space.
Then, you can figure out what you want and make the right decision in line with your values. Check out this free training if you want support with this.
Remember, when you stop choosing what you think you should do and start focusing on what you want, you will make the right career decisions, every time.
WAY #3 — FACE THE FEAR — HEAD ON!
Self-doubt, fear of regret and making the wrong decision stop you making any decision. The only way to move through these feelings is to become aware of the thoughts behind them and tackle your fears — head on.
Ask yourself: what’s the worst thing that could happen if you made this choice? Would it be losing your job, your savings, business — or sense of pride?
What would it cost you in terms of your time, money, health or the impact on those around you? Keep digging deeper to uncover the worst case scenario and write it down.
How likely is it this would happen? And if it did, what would you do about it? Identifying solutions upfront removes the fear and helps you make more informed decisions.
Finally, consider — what’s the best case scenario? What dreams will you accomplish? And what will you learn as a result?
Considering both the positive and negative outcomes allows you to weigh up the risks and benefits of a decision. When you face your fears, you will know if taking a risk is worth it!
WAY #4 — GO WITH YOUR HEART
Trying to rationalise and ‘think’ your way through a decision may not be as effective as you believe. Research by neurologists reveals decision making is associated with the emotional part of the brain. Brain injury studies found patients with damage to the prefrontal cortex — responsible for processing emotions — experienced difficulties making decisions.
Tapping into your body’s natural wisdom allows you to bypass fear, ego and logic. Ask yourself: what feels right?
When you consider this decision, do you feel contracted or expansive? A sense of heaviness and dread — or lightness and excitement? Intuition can be subtle and tricky to identify but feelings of ease and expansion indicate you’re moving in the right direction.
Finally, what does your heart say? Will you regret NOT doing this in 5 years’ time? If your response is a clear YES! — you’re on the right path.
Because when you go with your heart, not just your head… you will easily navigate big career decisions.
WAY #5 — BITE THE BULLET
If you’ve worked through these other strategies and are still agonising over making the ‘right’ decision — just decide! Figure out what you want. Then commit to it, by following through and taking action.
Say you’re struggling over a big decision, like whether to start a business or change careers. Consider how you can test this idea out on a small scale. Treat it like an experiment and focus on taking one small step at a time.
If this decision is consuming your time and energy, remember there is never a ‘wrong’ choice. Reframe mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth knowing you can always reset and choose again later.
Finally, always review your decisions. How do you feel afterwards? What worked or didn’t — and why or why not?
Based on this experience, what will you do differently in future? When you treat decision-making like an experiment, you will never make a ‘wrong’ choice.
If you let it, decision-making can become a challenging, all-consuming process — but it doesn’t have to be this way. These strategies have helped my clients and I get unstuck and make career decisions with clarity and ease. I hope they support you too!
Want further support to find clarity on your next career step?
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Stacey Back is a Career Strategist, Leadership Coach + Founder of Profile Careers. She helps high-achievers at a career crossroads find the work that lights them up, increase their income, impact and create a career + life on their terms. Stacey works virtually with individuals and organisations based across the globe.