How to Make the Hard Decisions in Your Personal and Business Life (and Laugh About It)

We all face tough life choices, whether it's about our relationships, careers, health, or finances. Sometimes, we feel paralysed by the fear of making the wrong decision, or we avoid making any decision. But what if I told you that there is a way to make the hard choices easier and even have some fun along the way?

In this article, I will be sharing with you some of the strategies that have helped me make difficult decisions in both my personal life and business. I will also be discussing how I use humour and storytelling as coping mechanisms to deal with the stress and uncertainty that often accompany these situations. My hope is that by reading this, you will feel more confident and empowered to make informed choices that are best for yourself and your future.

Strategy 1: Clarify your values

What are the things that matter to you the most in your life? What are your core beliefs and principles? What are your goals and dreams? These things should guide your decision-making process instead of what others think or expect from you. Your values are your compass, north star, and inner voice. They help you align your actions with your purpose and vision.

For example, being authentic and honest with myself and others is one of my core values. It means that I don't pretend to be someone I'm not, nor do I say things that I don't mean. It also means that I don't compromise my integrity or ethics, even if it means losing some opportunities or money. This value has helped me make some tough decisions in my business, such as rejecting clients who didn't share my vision or values or ending partnerships that were not aligned with my mission.

Strategy 2: weigh the pros and cons

When deciding, using this classic technique to evaluate potential outcomes and compare them to your values and goals is helpful.

This technique involves creating a list of benefits and drawbacks for each option and assigning a score based on how important they are to you. By adding up the scores, you can determine which option has the highest net value.

For instance, when I was deciding whether to leave my corporate job and start my own business, I made a list of pros and cons for each option. The pros of quitting included having more freedom and flexibility, pursuing my passion, creating a greater impact, and earning more income potential.

The cons were losing a stable salary and benefits, taking on more risks and responsibilities, facing more challenges and uncertainties, and working longer hours. I rated each pro and con on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how much they mattered to me, and then added up the scores. Ultimately, my analysis showed that quitting had a higher net value than staying, so I decided to take the leap.

Strategy 3: ask for feedback.

It is natural to seek a fresh perspective or a second opinion from someone we trust and respect. This can assist us in gaining more insight into our situation or challenging our assumptions and biases. However, it's crucial to be careful about whom we ask for feedback and how we use it. We should only approach people who have our best interests at heart, who have relevant experience or expertise, and who can provide constructive and honest feedback.

?It's also important to remember that feedback is not an instruction or a command. It is simply another input that we can consider in our decision-making process, but ultimately, we have to make our own choices.

When I was in the process of purchasing a new home, I asked for feedback from my real estate agent, family, and friends. I shared my preferences and requirements for the home, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, location, and budget, and requested their opinions on the properties that I had shortlisted. They provided me with different perspectives on the pros and cons of each property, such as the neighbourhood, the quality of construction, the resale value, and the potential for renovation or expansion. Their feedback helped me make an informed decision and choose a home that met all my needs and preferences while staying within my budget.

Strategy 4: Use Humour:

Humour can be a powerful tool in helping us manage difficult situations, such as stress, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty when making challenging decisions.

It has the ability to lighten the mood, release tension, allow us to laugh at ourselves or our situations, and find joy in the process. Additionally, humour can help us connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges or dilemmas and share our stories and emotions with them.

I once used humour to help me make a decision about whether or not to start out on my own. I created a list of pros and cons for this leap, but I also added witty comments and jokes to each point to make it more lighthearted. For example, under "cons", I wrote: "I won’t be able to afford avocado toast!" and under "pros", I wrote: "I'll have to wake up early and put on pants every day."

This helped me see the situation in a more humorous light and made the decision-making process less stressful. Ultimately, I decided to take the leap, and I'm glad I did!

So, these strategies have helped me make the hard decisions in my personal life and business, and that I use humour and storytelling to inspire myself and others. By reading this, you have learned something useful or interesting or at least had a good laugh.

Remember, making hard decisions is not easy, but it is possible. And sometimes, it can even be fun.

And if you made it to the last paragraph... I have a disclaimer: I tell my family that after "work" hours and weekends, I don't make decisions at all... including what's for dinner!

Thank you for reading, and until next time, keep making the hard decisions (and laughing about them)!