How to Make Big Career Decisions With No Regret - The Muse

How to Make Big Career Decisions With No Regret - The MuseHow to Make Big Career Decisions With No Regret What makes big decisions so hard? As a decision coach, I see many people struggle with tough choices, because they really, really want to have no regrets. While Ive never met anyone who felt they got it right 100% of the time, going back to the basics can help you get clear on what you want and feel better about moving forward. Here are five simple strategies Ive learned for lessening the odds that youll look back and wish you did it differently. 1. Youve Got to Collect All the InformationThe first step is research. If you make a decision without the proper information- like joining a company without learning what the culture is really like- youre setting yourself up for disappointment later on when you learn something that wouldve made a difference. Putting the time in on the front end means fewer chances for regret down the line. You dont want to be thinking, If only Id checked out the website more closely or I shouldve asked that in my interview You want to be thinking, I did my research and made the best decision I could.2. Youve Got to Chill OutMaking a choice is stressful by nature, but doing it from a place of calm consideration lowers your chance of making the wrong one. Thats because the calmer you are, the less likely you are to make a hasty, emotional decision.Try to get into a relaxed state of mind, remove any stressors- including people- from the room, and think through your decision with a clear head and an open mind. Dont rush, dont freak out instead, take deep breaths and think about the facts. If youre leid in the right state, ask yourself if you have to weigh your options right then, or if you can wait until a better time (i.e., sleeping on it usually helps).3. Youve Got to Know All the OptionsA client recently asked me to help her think through a big, cross-country move. Her husband had a job offer with a higher salary in the new location and while they loved where they were, they were struggling financially in an expensive city. I pointed out that her options werent simply to take the job or to stay and continue to barely make ends meet. There were other ways she could change her situation her husband could ask for a raise, she could look for part-time work, or they could downsize their house. Dont leave any option unexplored, no matter how unlikely it seems You want to know the full range of choices and not limit yourself to two.4. Youve Got to Keep a ListInstead of just going through the pros and cons in your head, write them out in list form. Its not just a matter of clarifying important points and picking a side. Keeping the list will help you minimize regret, because if you start to second-guess yourself later on, youll have evidence for why you made the decision you did. Sometimes, a simple reminder that your choice was based on concrete factors and the best information you had at the time- and wasnt just mad e on a whim- can help re-configure your thinking so you feel better about the path you took.5. Youve Got to Keep Things in PerspectiveThis is important both during decision-making and afterwards. We often get so caught up in finding the best option that it consumes us. Reminding yourself that things are going to be OK no matter which choice you make- which is true most of the time- puts you in the right mindset for a regret-free decision. Youre not perfect- and thats OK, no one is. Sometimes, we choose badly, or circumstances beyond our control mean that a decision we made wasnt the right one. Regret is usually unproductive and pointless, and although that doesnt help when you feel like you made a huge mistake, the less time you spend dwelling on what could have been, the better. If all else fails, try to channel that regret into something useful. Making a poor decision prepares you for better decision making in the future. Analyze what went wrong, refine your process, and move forw ard.Photo of person reflecting courtesy of alvarez/Getty Images.