Do you remember when things were questions were simpler? You don’t? Me neither, barely. But I heard people remind me of days gone by, when we were young. We didn’t over-think things and were able to make quick and decisive decisions. Remember that? If you do remember, also recall that most of the things we had to decide when we were young were simple. So maybe that was why it was so easy to make a good decision back then. When we get older we forget how to make a decision that easily because things become more complicated. That might be because as we age the decisions we have to make have bigger ramifications. Or maybe because we tend to add our own complications as we age and pull in more experience into our decision making process. No one really teaches you how to make a decision. This is something you learn as you grow. There may be times when you make a decision that is completely wrong, but this is how you learn how to make a decision in the future. It is one of those things that you can only learn from experience. Many people will give you advice, but there are just some things that you have to learn on your own. Making mistakes is part of being human, and many times, making a wrong decision is something we have to do. Didn’t we all make wrong decisions as children? And guess what, most of us grew up okay.
So if you see your child having problems knowing how to make a decision, refrain from making the decision for them. Show them how to weigh the pros and cons of the situation in order to make the right decision on how to proceed. You may feel like you should make the decision for them to help them avoid pain or making a big mistake, but this will help them in the future. They need to know how to make a decision on their own because you cannot be with them everywhere they go.
As an adult you may learn how to make a decision based on not only fact, but also on what may happen after the decision is made. It is easy to make a decision based on our own feelings, and what we think is best for ourselves, but it is quite another thing to know how to make a decision that will work out to be the best for everyone. You may falter, and you may stumble, but you will eventually learn how to balance what you need, with what is right. No matter what kind of decision you have to make, you have to learn to trust you will make the right one, or you will find yourself spinning your wheels at every turn. Onward!