What is Important in Making Life or Career Decisions?

Let’s go beyond, is the decision right or wrong (for me), or there is only one answer.  We need to look at an action oriented process that takes in the many facets of our lives.  We need to look at our interests, desires, values, identity, preferences, experiences, responsibilities and goals for our lives.  Our dislikes are important also.  Questions of meaning and purpose may need to be considered.  We want to look at patterns not pinpoint a single possibility.  This is about our whole life and we want to look at all that is part of us together. 

Tools like the Pillars of a Balance Life, Wheel of Life or the Circle of Human Needs are ways to look at the many faces of your life. Where are you currently at – professionally (career), physically, philosophically (spiritually), financially, socially, emotionally, with regard to relationships, play (fun), creativity, learning (growth), security, and fulfillment?  Rate each area on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being your ideal experience.  How would you like to change the balance of the wheel?  What needs to be the current focus for where you are at on you life journey? 

Now look at the roles you are in, day in and day out: student, sibling, child, parent, worker, co-worker, supervisor, partner, friend, teacher, business owner, artist, etc.  How much time do you spend each day in each role?  What are the activities that you are doing in each of these roles?  Is that how you want to spend your time? Which activities would you like to change? What role, at this moment in life, is the one you would like to blossom? How can you shift the activities, spend the time where you want to be, meet your desires and your responsibilities (and let others meet their responsibilities)? 

With what you know now about yourself and the world around you what is a description of your ideal life?  Where do you see yourself living and working?  Describe the home and work space in detail physically and what you are doing?  Who are you with?  What does it feel like? What are you enjoying, accomplishing? What is important that surrounds you?  This ideal needs to be described in detail and with feeling.  Now to make that ideal real what would have to happen, be obtained right before?  Work yourself backwards of what is just before each step to point of what you could or need to do today to move toward that ideal.  Be sure to translate these steps to a timeline.  Monitor your progress.  Ask for help. Discover alternatives for accomplishing each step.  Bring some one with you on the adventure – keep people you can help and that can help you. 

Life is a journey with many adventures.  You can map it all out and you can explore side trips to learn or for fun.  Know there are always options and it is your decision.