Sooner or later, we all face questions such as: “Do I want to continue my current career?”, “Where do I want to live?”, “Who do I want to share my life with?” or “Do we want children?”
We generally do not make choices like these very often, while their impact can be significant. For many people, making an important life choice is a difficult process. And the longer it takes, the more uncomfortable it can start to feel.
In Western society, we are rewarded from an early age for what we can achieve through reason. Think of the grades we received at school. And anyone who has completed higher education has been trained to analyse logically and look at situations from different perspectives.
Our cognitive abilities should generally be more than sufficient to make difficult life choices.
But there comes a point when we get stuck if we rely primarily on reason. For many people, this happens for the first time in their late twenties or early thirties, when one or more major choices come into view.
This is my perspective on making important choices:
Use your heart to determine the right direction in your life.
Then use your head to shape your plans and dreams.
I am often asked: “How do you know whether that worked? How do you know whether you really chose your direction from the heart?”
In practice, you know when you can settle into your choice and relax. If you find yourself reconsidering the decision again shortly afterwards, there is a good chance your head was still in charge.
Want to read more about making important choices? Take a look at my article on the thirties dilemma.
Facing an important choice in work or life? Coaching can help you get clearer about what is really going on.
Continue reading: read What is the thirties dilemma? and Looking for work that truly fits you?.
