4 Signs You've Made the Right Decision in a Difficult Situation

Much of life is determined by the decisions we make on a daily basis.  While many of those decisions are simple and straightforward, others can leave us feeling as if we're carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.  And some of our decisions directly impact not just our own life, but also the lives of people around us. 

What happens when you have a decision to make, and there simply isn't an easy answer or convenient course of action?  You may be left feeling torn by whatever choice you make, and some fallout may be inevitable.  Under these circumstances, how do you know you've made the right decision?

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Here are four signs you've made the right decision in a difficult situation.
 

1.  It's your own decision, not someone else's.
 
You know you've made the right decision when it's your own, not someone else's.

You may have taken other people's needs into consideration.  You might even decide you're willing to make sacrifices or incur some inconvenience for the sake of someone else you care about. 
 
But ultimately, it's your choice, and you made it freely.  You're not caught up in fulfilling someone else's agenda, nor are you being manipulated, bullied or coerced.  You know what your beliefs, values, morals, and needs are, and you've given all these elements proper consideration.    
 

2.  You're not being rushed or pressured.
 
Rushed decisions are often bad decisions.  Same goes for decisions made under pressure, as there's a good chance you're not thinking as clearly as usual. 
 
It's one thing to make a quick decision where you follow your intuition or go with your gut.  Such decisions tend to be made with a sense of confidence and deep assurance.  But you don't want to be rushing into things and making big decisions without having sufficient time to perform your due diligence.  You know you've made the right decision when you've taken an appropriate amount of time to gather and examine all the obvious — and perhaps not so obvious — details.
 
 
3.  You thought about the big picture and long-term consequences.                          

Myopia is defined as:  a lack of foresight or discernment, a narrow view of something.  Most of us can recall a time when we were incredibly myopic in making a decision, where we fell into the trap of taking a short-sighted, narrow view of the situation. 
 
You know you've made the right decision when you've taken a step back and considered the big-picture, long-term implications of your decision.  Just don't take this to an extreme, especially if you're prone to over-thinking things, or else you can find yourself falling into the paralysis of analysis!
 
 
4.  No matter what the costs and fallout, your conscience is clear.
 
Tough decisions sometimes involve trade-offs and sacrifices.  Relationships can be impacted, as other people might not always like or approve of your choices.
 
When things start to feel heavy on your shoulders and you have doubts, consider your conscience.  Much as you want to, you might not always be able to please the people around you.  The decision you make might also mean veering off the beaten-path and charting new terrain, all of which can make for a lonely and challenging path at times.  But you know you've made the right decision when your conscience is clear and you your self-respect remains intact.