How do you know that you have made the right decision?

All the best for 2024!

As a Career Coach I often get to know individuals that are about to change jobs or careers, or are toying with the idea of changing jobs. More often than not their first question to me is: How do I know that I am making the right decision? The short answer is: you don’t! Once you leave a job or career you don’t know how it would have turned out if you did not leave and hence it is very hard to judge whether it was the right or wrong decision. What is more important is to make the best of your new path.

Having said that, there are a couple of golden rules that will make the decision easier and a better-informed decision.

The fact that you want to change jobs or careers is an indication that something is not right. In general, you don’t just wake up one morning and decide to make a change. Actually, if you make a sudden decision it is most likely an emotional one and not necessarily a good idea. Something is always driving the need for a change and it is advisable to unravel the true reason for it. It does not have to be a negative reason, it could be as simple as: I want to follow my real passion. Once you understand your true reasons for change you can begin to judge the pro’s and con’s of the decision.

A critical element of every decision is to take the fear out of the decision. Often your fear has nothing to do with the decision itself, but rather the fear of making the wrong decision. Remember: there are no wrong decisions! If you understand that every experience you have, whether “good” or “bad”, is exactly the experience you need to grow, it releases the pressure and fear. Some choices might result in a very painful lesson however, remember that it is a lesson that you need and should be grateful for.

The decision to change a job or career should be about you. So often I hear that a job is unbearable and that a person needs to change because their boss does not appreciate them or their co-worker is like that. Rather make it personal: I do not enjoy working here as I do not enjoy how my boss’s behaviour makes me feel. You choose how you respond to the things around you and only you can change that. You cannot change how the people around you act or what they say.

Decisions can be overturned. If you make a decision and it turns out to not be what you want, you can change again. Long gone are those days where you had to choose a job or career for life; in fact, it is nowadays not only acceptable, but even expected that you change jobs to gain a broader range of experiences.

Once you have decided, move on. Sulking about how it could have been does not serve you in any way. It merely holds you back and deprive you from the opportunity to enjoy your current journey.

Believe that you will make the decision that will bring you joy, happiness and contentedness. And if it turns out not to be the case, enjoy the wisdom that comes from the lesson!