How to Make the Most Difficult Life Decisions

There comes a time in all of our lives when we are called on to make a difficult decision. Of course we are faced with decisions every waking moment, but it is only occasionally that these take on such importance and significance. For you it might be deciding whether or not to propose, or whether or not to divorce. Perhaps you're considering leaving your job, or maybe you have to decide about getting a particular medical treatment or even going through with an abortion.

Any one of these decisions is an incredibly personal one, but one that will also have huge implications and repercussions - changing the course of your life and affecting those around you to. In such situations, how do you go about making sure you're confident and that you've come to the right decision? Here we will look for some answers and provide some suggestions as to how you can start making better decisions when it really counts.

Talk it Through

This is one of the most important things you should do when making any big decision. Many people seem to think that the big life calls are things they have to go through alone and so they won't talk to anyone or let them know even what they're going through. This is a big mistake though as talking to friends and family is perhaps the most important way to know your own thoughts, as well as to get advice from the ones who know you best. And if you feel it's too private to tell your friends and family? Then consider speaking to a counsellor or calling a charity to discuss the issue.

Get Opinions and Information

Talking to others is a key way to get more opinions and information but it's not the only way by a long shot. If you want to get more information and more accounts without talking to friends then you can always try reading around the web to see what others have gone through and to make sure you have all the information to make an informed decision.

Make a Pros and Cons List

This is my Granddad's solution to everything, and while many big decisions in life aren't so clear cut as to fit nicely into a pros and cons list, you can nevertheless stand to benefit a great deal from at least outlining all the issues and having them on one sheet of paper to look at.

Go With Your Gut

Some big decisions, like whether or not to have an abortion, don't come down to facts or numbers. Instead this is a decision that will come down to your personal beliefs and that will come down to emotions. You shouldn't ignore these feelings then but instead let them guide you - which decision do you think will make you happiest in the long run?

If you have a strong urge to go one way and you're not sure about it though, then a good strategy is to ask yourself why you feel that way. Once you understand what's going on in your head, you'll be in a much better position to do what's right for you.