There are so many decisions to make in life. What to study. Who to date (and not date). Where to live. And then all the small things you have to decide between those big things to keep moving you forward.
Someone once asked me how I knew that I wanted to stay in Australia. Some might have answered it was circumstance or convenience. For me it was gut feeling. There was little logic to explain it – it simply just felt right at that time. And almost 7 years later that gut feeling seems to have stayed true.
Regardless of the decision you’re facing right now – how can you test if that famous gut feeling is right or not?
- Is it truly serving you? More often than not, gut feeling is based on what’s comfortable. A great self check question would be “What happened last time I followed my gut feeling in a similar decision to this?” History does not always repeat itself, but patterns of thinking most likely will. Be mindful of your own patterns and if they truly serve you.
- Is it meting your core needs resourcefully? We’ve explored them before, but it’s always good to repeat – you will strive to meet your core needs, so make sure you do so in a resourceful way. By following that gut instinct and making this specific decision, how will your needs be met?
- What’s the worst thing that can happen? Can you afford it? I don’t know if it’s true, but I’ve been told this is how Richard Branson makes many of his decisions. By asking two key questions. For the past few years I’ve done the same and usually things become a lot less scary when you follow this decision-making model.
How do you make your big decisions in life? Gut feeling or something else?