Tips on How to Make the Best Decision About Continuing Your Education
No matter where we are in our lives, decision making will always be a responsibility. Our decisions can be as simple as what we want for dinner or as complex as continuing our education. When deciding on a financial and life changing decision, there are several concepts to explore before deciding. Decision making will require you to make predictions and judgment calls. If you find yourself in this position, the concepts below could help you make the best decision about continuing your education.
Determine Priorities
To begin, you must define your main objective. There are various objectives such as “getting into graduate school” or “bringing more value to my company.” Once you determine your main objective, you can then work on a plan of action.
Cost of Deciding
Either decision you make about continuing your education, know there will be a cost. If you find yourself stuck between the two decisions, consider asking yourself “am I going to stay in my current mindset or am I going to move forward?” When we are indecisive, that shows us three things: fear, anxiety from past mistakes or lack of information.
Be Aware of Emotions
As we have already established, deciding to continue your education is a financial and life changing decision. With that big of a decision, be sure to not let your emotions control the outcome. Do your best to think logically and rationally before acting. You cannot look at this choice and compare it to what you would like for dinner. Making a poor decision about what you want to eat is less harmful than making the wrong decision about continuing your education.
Implement a Filter
We all have heard that decisions affect those closest to us. Whether if continuing education is right for you, consider using a filter to assist. You can ask yourself, “how and will this impact my family, will this help me get closer to achieving my goals?” By using these filter questions, you will be able to better analyze your decisions and the effects of them.
Do Your Research
Consider researching and reading articles that could assist in choosing to continue your education. You could also bring in new perspectives and ask those closest to you for advice. Once you research and hear out other perspectives, then take the time to review things for yourself. This will allow you to have a clear picture in your mind rather than making a decision after discussing it with people close to you.
Remember that this is your life and you are in control of making your own decisions!
