When you’re stuck and can’t decide…
Try the Best of Both Worlds approach
A better approach to decision-making
When you need to make a decision, use the Best of Both Worlds approach. The idea behind this is to focus only on the positives of each option.
It’s tempting to make a pro/con list, but this is not a helpful position to be operating from. Our ‘cons’ can trick us into very fuzzy math around decision-making.
Every ‘con’ is simply an obstacle that you can develop a strategy for. Most of these are actually temporary or manageable anyway.
The purpose of Best of Both Worlds list is to imagine the best possible scenario for each option. Then review the two options, and decide from a place of potential positive outcomes which you like better.
Getting started with the Best of Both Worlds
Work through the questions below by imagining yourself picking one of your possible options. Sit with that option and fully explore it. Notice how you feel and the thoughts that arise as you work through the questions. Then repeat this process with the other option(s).
It’s critically important that you work through your options one at a time, so that you can get a real sense of what it could mean to take a particular path. You will get a chance to compare your options once your explorations are complete.
Making your lists
Questions to ask yourself as you make your Best of Both Worlds lists:
What would my life look like if I chose this option and everything went exceedingly well?
What sort of impact could I make if I chose this? Who would benefit, and how?
What sort of possibilities could this open up for me? (Financial, emotional, professional, etc.)
How much value could I get out of this?
What could this lead to? And what next?
How would it feel to choose this?
Reviewing your lists
With your lists completed, ask yourself some or all of the following questions:
How does each list make me feel?
Which feelings do I like the best?
Which option allows me to make the most impact?
Which option gets me closest to who I want to be?
What is my gut instinct here?
What insights am I getting from doing this exercise?
What do I know now that I didn’t before?
Again, the reason for doing this is because you want to make decisions — especially important decisions — from the best frame of mind possible.
Give this approach a try and surprise yourself with the options that open up!
