As a graduate of the Leaders for Justice program, one of my favorite sessions was the one where nearly 20 people fervently discussed decisions and what drives us to make them. Everyone brought their own motivation to the table and in the end we were left with some practical ways to try to get closer to making the right choice and a set of decisions that no one else will make for us, because until now no effective decision outsourcing system has been devised.
I think it was among the first times I became aware of the mechanism itself of making a decision, because usually a human stops at the question "what do I choose" between A or B, without creating an applied and adaptable process in similar situations. While in school our decisions are drawn according to a certain pattern, more or less socially accepted, once you are done with the compulsory side of your life, you have to think about what other responsibilities you choose for yourself in the future, be it professional or personal life. And the reference to "responsibilities" is about the fact that it's much easier for us to make a decision about something that has a predominantly positive outcome for us and involves a comfortable commitment. In short, it is the principle of maximising outcomes with a minimum of available resources, applied at a deeply human level.
So the really tough decisions are those where you know you can apply the above principle, but either the outcome or the resources invested are different from what you expect or are willing to put in. And important in determining the value of a decision is that your decision is the first step towards a new side of the future that you are able to create.
An essential element of any decision is opportunity cost, that is, the thing you give up, whether it's time, money, professional background or personal development opportunities. This cost can hold us back when we're ready to step into something else, or it can be the catalyst we've been waiting for.
Another substantial aspect of the decision mechanism is that you have to relate to the right and unique benchmarks for each person. For example, if you make a professional decision based on extraneous expectations, then the satisfaction will never match your initial investment.
In conclusion, it is quite possible that, regardless of how we consciously or unconsciously decide on a situation, the internal decision has already been made long before it is projected outward to others and our whole process of questioning and doubting only brings us closer to the person we are actually meant to be.
So as we start fall, school, college and tempting projects, let's all have the determination to make the winning decisions, whether we want to smile more often, quit smoking or take the stairs to the office instead of the elevator.