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The thought of ‘calling it quits’ and walking away arrives frequently. When a job or project seems to drag on forever without satisfaction the thought of quitting brings a smile to one’s face; but is it the best idea?
As I recovered from a bike accident, easing back into work was a slow process. Writing is my favorite part of the work, but even that was hard to embrace. Once again, I came to terms with the fact that mind, body, and spirit all have to be in alignment to function well. The starting over phase was not easy, particularly so because my mind had been on vacation due to needed medication. And so it began, the second-guessing of whether to continue the effort to write a lengthy piece or forego the idea.
The problem may sound familiar. Most often it’s a struggle to decide whether we are each best off continuing the same or stopping to do something new. It’s obvious I decided to write although, initially, it was a struggle. Very slowly but surely the ideas for the new work arrived, and progress is in the works. In this instance, it was the right choice.
But there were other experiences where my decision was to walk away from my own projects. As times changed, the same old no longer worked. For a business to remain, owners need to embrace the new thought. And this brought up another problem where former peers weren’t up to the task of undertaking new thought of the day. And so we had to part ways due to differing directions underway and support for one another was in decline.
Looking back, sure a decision here and there wasn’t the most brilliant move. On the other hand, without trying, one never knows ‘what might have been.’ Nevertheless, I’m one who advocates learning from both the bad and good experiences. By being open to analyzing what worked best and where I went wrong, the next best move is evident and progress then continues.
The need to make decisions arrives in waves. Your process for dealing with the more important questions can hinder or improve the outcome you are seeking. Come to terms whether you give each opportunity enough time to consider the pros and cons of each. On the other hand, do you sometimes take too long to decide only to miss the presented offer? Several approaches come to mind for making the hard decisions that have appeal for varying personality types:
1. Create a list of pros and cons for each decision to be made. Should the list be evenly distributed, then think about how each list aligns with your personal goals. Which direction will best assist with achieving what you set out to do? For a change of projects, have a backup plan just in case an alternative is needed. Read “The Psychological Power of Having Plan B”
2. During the day see which thought comes to you more frequently , and in the morning, observe which idea comes to you first. Determine which collaborative effort brings a smile to your face.
3. Should the change be a career move , do considerable research and speak to trusted advisors on the benefits of making the change.
Be the one who takes immediate action in the decision making process. There are no guarantees, but the swift attention to the dilemma with research included is more likely to lead you to the better conclusion.