There comes a point in your life when you will be faced with major decisions that will impact your future. Often times these decisions come with a lot of uncertainty, which can make them even more difficult to navigate. The brain doesn’t handle uncertainty well because it cannot predict if the outcome of a decision will mean pain or pleasure.
Maybe you are just graduating and stepping into the workplace. Maybe you are established in your career and considering switching. Maybe you are in a relationship that you have outgrown and are scared to leave. Whatever that decision is for you, I’m sure it has bred feelings of anxiety, overthinking, confusion, and overwhelm.
Lately, I find myself dealing with similar emotions as I consider retiring from my sport after 23 years. For the first couple weeks, the questions ran through my mind relentlessly. Do I want to continue playing professionally? Do I want to continue making personal sacrifices to extend a career that I won’t ever be able to make a living in? If I hang them up, what will I do? Who will I be? Who am I without my sport?
You get the point.
I fell into the rabbit hole of asking myself these questions and getting more frustrated and anxious with myself for not being able to come up with the answers.
I needed to take a step back and give my brain some room to process. This allowed me to find a bit more clarity around what I truly wanted to do moving forward.
Here is my advice to anyone that is currently finding themselves struggling with making a major decision in their life:
- Gather the relevant information you need to make the decision.
- Get curious and ask yourself some thought provoking questions to help you get clear on your values, goals, and overall level of fulfillment and happiness.
- Take a step back from thinking and drop into your heart space and intuition.
- Take action.
If/when you experience feelings of self-doubt, think back to times in your life when you have made big decisions that have resulted in positive results. This will help you build the confidence you need to take action toward that end goal.
– Coach Taylor
