A Remarkably Easy Way To Make Decisions

I have a new barometer for when I need to make a decision and I’m not sure what to do. I ask myself this…

If I was on my deathbed would I regret this?

Granted, this can apply to many meaningless topics – best to practice with small decisions before messing with the big ones.

Like:

Should I go to Starbucks today? 

Deathbed thought: Gee, I wish I drank less soy hazelnut no foam lattes

Should I open a new bottle of wine?

Deathbed thought: Man, I wish I drank less wine

Should I grab another hunk of dark chocolate?

Deathbed thought: I wish I ate less chocolate in this life

Should I leave work at 2pm to take Jacob to hockey practice?

Deathbed thought: I wish I worked more instead of leaving early for practice

Should I work less?

Deathbed thought: I totally regret working less – all that extra time spent doing things I loved was stupid

Should I write a blog post about this topic most would call meaningless?

Deathbed thought: You totally wrote too much. What a waste.

Should I book the ticket to the book writing workshop?

Deathbed thought: Naw, you shouldn’t have invested in yourself

Should I tell Ry I just finished the last drop of wine?

Deathbed thought: No, he should drink faster

There's a problem with this kind of thinking – it could lead me to make decisions that might be seen as irrational by others.

Decisions like quitting my job, dying my hair lavender, moving across the country, moving to another country.

In the end, these decisions aren’t necessarily reckless or irrational. It depends on your risk tolerance.

I’ve lived in 3 states, and 2 countries. A date 300 miles from home in the Adirondacks with a pretty much a stranger led to the ride of my life. Every time I pack up to move, people called me crazy.

Ryan brings home a new bike (for the third time), brings home chickens, ducks, a dog – crazytown they say.

What if it sucks? They’d say?

…

And what if it doesn’t?

And – what’s your deathbed thought about it?

Because in the end, that’s all that really matters.

PS - Death upsets us because it reminds us of our own mortality