CAN’T MAKE A DECISION? HERE’S WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE’S NO RIGHT OR WRONG

Life is a series of decisions you make, but what happens when you feel stuck on choosing what to do next? Here’s how you can make the choice to move forward.


BY: REGAN WALSH

If there’s no right or wrong answer, how do you choose?

A yoga teacher posed this question in class recently, and it struck a chord with me. After all, life is a series of choices that you make in order to take action. 

And there are times when those decisions can feel particularly difficult to make, especially when both choices seem fairly equivalent. 

Maybe you’re trying to decide if you’re staying in your great job, or leave it to start your own business. 

If you stay where you are, you’ll inherit the company down the road, but it’s not running the way you’d like it to right now. Starting your own business means you can do what you want, but you won’t have the support system of your current setup.

It’s tough, but in this case, your options aren’t really a matter of right or wrong—they’re simply different. Yet you may be telling yourself:

“I just want to do what’s right. I don’t want to make the wrong choice.”

For the most part,  life decisions aren’t really about right vs. wrong. (Thankfully! Can you imagine how stressful that would be?) 

Our choices and opportunities usually have both benefits and drawbacks.  And when we acknowledge that we’re not really making a decision between good and evil, taking that next step becomes exponentially easier.

If you have a decision you’re stalling to make, here’s what happens when you realize there’s no right or wrong answer.

1. You get “unstuck.” 

It’s not unusual to feel frozen when you’re faced with a tough decision. That’s usually because you want to make the “perfect” choice. 

When you acknowledge that “perfect” doesn’t exist—that no matter what you choose, there will be pros and cons—you free yourself up to think more clearly. You’ll likely feel less pressure, which will only help as you weigh your options.

2. It’s easier to gut-check. 

Listening to your intuition becomes easier if you’re willing to buy into the no-right-or-wrong mentality. If you have strong gut instincts pop up, don’t dismiss them, and let your gut be your guide for making the decision that feels right for you. Sometimes, it really is that simple.

3. You free up time. 

When your choices feel unlimited, you may end up spending a lot of time and energy trying to choose the ‘right’ one when, in reality, any of your options would work out just fine. Imagine how much time you can save if you recognize from the start that there is no right or wrong choice. 

And once you’re able to realize this, you gain the courage to take a stance and move forward.

Adapted from the original post.

Regan Walsh is an NYU-certified life coach and speaker who focuses on helping women who are over-programmed and underwhelmed, reclaim their lives, both personally and professionally. She is located in Columbus, Ohio and coaches women from all over the world. Regan contributes to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been featured in FAST Company,  Elite Daily, Bustle, Smart Business, and Columbus CEO.

1 Comment
  1. That is the exact issue I’m struggling with! Stick with soul-draining job or risk it all on private practice. Paralyzed by pros and cons and making the wrong choice, as if even the “wrong “ choice would be irreversible. Thank you!