Choice Points - Decision-Making in Private and Professional Life

Every day we are faced with choices, big and small, that can influence how we feel about ourselves and our lives. 

A choice point is a moment in time when we get to choose, get to the feeling that we have to or should choose between being consistent or inconsistent with what we do, how we do something, think about things - think about our values, life.

It might be a moment where we face the eternal conundrum of ‘to a dessert or not to eat a dessert?’ or the choice between staying in a job we struggle with or even hate or seeking a more fulfilling one. The choices we make in these situations can make a big difference as to whether we experience more moments of ‘Yes, I am who I am and I want to live 'my life'!’ or ‘Ugh! I suck! What is my life!?’. It’s not always easy to identify when these choice points occur, but with practice and support, it can be easier.

I already wrote about challenges in life - and in this context it is or might be worth to check them out...
Dealing With Changes in Private and Professional Life
Reflecting on Principles and Values
Self-Awareness and Emotions


And sure - from time to time, sometimes everyone makes a decision they wish they haven't - but this is inevitable, as it's part of life. And if you think you can’t do something, you probably won’t. But if you think you can, you’ll at least try, and trying (and not quitting) can really make things happen. You might even amaze yourself! If you’re ready for a change or you want to start something new, why not now? Ask yourself why you want a change, then go for it.


We all have choice points - and I like to share a few thoughts regarding handling and preparing such choice points.

How about having your core values in your mind, being self-aware, and identifying decision-making opportunities? After spotting and noticing these opportunities of choice points, you should think about which decisions align with your principles and values. You can put this into practice before, during, or after making a decision.

How does it feel to identify these decision-making points and consciously apply your values to your daily life?

Here's a simple way to introduce principled decision-making into your life:

  1. Spot a tough decision: Begin with a decision you're currently grappling with or one that will crop up soon. This could be a personal or work-related decision.
  2. Outline your choices: Jot down the potential choices you have in this situation.
  3. Think about your values: Think about your fundamental beliefs and principles. Which of these values is most relevant to this decision? This could be honesty, kindness, fairness, or others.
  4. Size up each choice: Think about each choice and how well it corresponds with your fundamental beliefs. Score them on a scale of 1-5, where 1 means it poorly aligns and 5 means it aligns perfectly.
  5. Decide: Based on this rating scale, opt for the choice that most closely mirrors your principles and genuine character. This might require making a hard decision, but one that aligns with your values.
  6. Reflect on your decision: After deciding, spend some time reflecting on how you feel about your decision. Are you content with your decision, ensuring it reflects your genuine character and values?
  7. Act on your decision: Turn your decision into action, and make sure to maintain the values that led you to this choice.
  8. Learn and tweak: As you see the consequences of your decision, learn from the results and  experience. Did sticking to your principles result in a favorable outcome? Is there room or further options for improvement?
This whole process might remind one or two on something we as designers call Design Thinking - and if you do not know Design Thinking it is a method or collection of methods the man kind and especially architects, designers, creative people are using since centuries - even the term Design Thinking is counting only decades 😌.



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