If You Can’t Make a Decision, Try This
By: Sunder Dragoon
Tags: Life, Creative Writing, Self-awareness, Decision Making, Career Paths

And gain new perspective.

Photo by Tara Scahill on Unsplash

There are too many paths ahead of you, and you can’t make a decision. Which door should you choose? Which direction should you go? When all seems lost and too confusing, then here’s one little trick you can use to shed light on the right path, one that’s meant for you.

Step Outside of Your Body

Sometimes, the rain clouds only descend upon one area, making it difficult to see. Unfortunately, you happen to be in that area, and it’s quite unpleasant. In this case, it’s best to “zoom out” to get a good grasp on the bigger picture.

Imagine looking at your body from above, as if you were a light bulb gazing down at yourself. There you are, sitting in position, a frozen moment in time. Zoom out a bit further, and there’s your house. Zoom out even more, and there’s your city.

Stop here and let things settle for a moment. There’s no rush here. Take your time and get things done right.

Now, slowly zoom back in and begin telling a story about yourself, but in the third person…

My Third Person Story, As an Example

He had never been this calm before in his entire life. Everything seemed to be doomed to failure since the day of his birth, but after decades of hard work and suffering, things seemed to finally come together. Could this be real? Could he actually be… happy, for once?

He had to pinch himself a few times before actually realizing that he was, indeed, awake. Yes, this was his body. Yes, this was his home office. Yes, he finally had peace and quiet after a year of suffering at the hands of other people. And yet, somehow, it all seemed so unreal.

He checked his calendar:

All bills paid for one month.

“One month.” What a beautiful phrase. That’s one month of freedom that he’d use to work on his career, his end goal. That’s one month less he’d have to work some job that paid beans for his precious time. That’s one less month of misery with toxic, dirty roommates.

He scratched his head and made a mind map. On it, he wrote, “Paths”, and made a web of the paths he could take:

Get a third job and get sustainable income Keep writing for free for magazines, and hope to get paid one day Create a new blog and work toward brand recognition Accept the offer to become a business partner for a startup company

He crossed off number two on the list. He knew he couldn’t sustain himself on the chance to become a paid writer for a free magazine; he needed money, and he needed it now.

He crossed off number four. The startup company would be great once it got rolling, but he couldn’t survive on “intern pay”. He’d have to spare what little time he had to help them, and ask to get paid upfront. This was not the best choice.

That left numbers one and three. These were his best options for the time being.

A third job that paid more than the current two would certainly be the harbinger of light. He could work to make a few more thousand each month, which would be guaranteed income that he could sock away into his savings for a rainy day, and to buy him time so that he could work on his business.

The new blog would be his bread and butter, acting as his portfolio for both writing and marketing. He could use it as proof that he knew what he was doing, while also generating passive income. It was literally the best path for him in any situation.

He put his pen down. The ink settled into the paper as it dried, leaving permanent dark marks. A sip of coffee. He leaned back into his cheap, steel chair as he let out a sigh of relief. If only I had thought of this sooner, he thought to himself.

Give It a Try

Now, it’s your turn. Whatever problems you have at the moment can be fleshed out on paper (even electronically) to help you gain perspective on your situation.

You could use this exercise for just about any situation, with some examples listed here:

Divorce

Choosing a college

Quitting a job

Moving to a different location

Or anything else

Writing your situation out into a third-person story can work wonders into your life, and give you greater clarity than you had previously thought possible.

Three paragraphs is more than enough to figure everything out. Good luck!