Making decisions - yes/no, stay/go, change/don't - is hard. It’s challenging to think things through objectively and all too easy to feel confused. You might get stuck thinking endlessly until your head fogs up, then just avoid the whole issue as long as possible until circumstances force you to respond, often with fewer or less desireable options that may have been available earlier.
When you need to make a decision, particularly about a possible action or change, use the power of writing. Laying out the pros and cons of both sides in writing will help you clarify your concerns. Get it out of your head and onto the page to gain perspective. No matter how complicated things are, this method will aid you to make a more informed choice.
Method:
1st – List the benefits & downsides of ‘Option A’ (usually keeping things the same) and ‘Option B’ (making the change) in the appropriate quadrant. Don’t settle for “nothing”. Ask yourself:
3rd - Are there things you don’t know? Tip: worries, a.k.a. "what ifs?" often can be turned into questions. Write those down - how can you find out?
Finally - evaluate - Which side weights more, particularly in the long run?
Remember - rarely is there a ‘perfect’ choice where everything is good and everyone is satisfied. Life is messy. Be brave! Aim to act like your best self.
When you need to make a decision, particularly about a possible action or change, use the power of writing. Laying out the pros and cons of both sides in writing will help you clarify your concerns. Get it out of your head and onto the page to gain perspective. No matter how complicated things are, this method will aid you to make a more informed choice.
Method:
1st – List the benefits & downsides of ‘Option A’ (usually keeping things the same) and ‘Option B’ (making the change) in the appropriate quadrant. Don’t settle for “nothing”. Ask yourself:
- What are the good parts/the things I don’t want to give up? List those in A1
- What’s likely to happen (lose, stay stuck with, get worse) that I don’t want if things stay the same? A2
- What could I gain that I want if I make this change? B1
- What makes doing this hard, what am I afraid might happen? B2
- How big a deal is this? How important is it to me? (1-5, S/M/L, whatever) The longest list isn't necessarily the most important. The value of a particular can outweigh the number of items.
- Is this a short-term thing? A long-term thing? Some consequences don’t show up until later, or change over time. You could even do one version for short-term and another for long-term - notice what changes.
3rd - Are there things you don’t know? Tip: worries, a.k.a. "what ifs?" often can be turned into questions. Write those down - how can you find out?
Finally - evaluate - Which side weights more, particularly in the long run?
Remember - rarely is there a ‘perfect’ choice where everything is good and everyone is satisfied. Life is messy. Be brave! Aim to act like your best self.
| decisional_balance_worksheet.pdf |
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