Making big decisions

its not about choosing the defaults

Each of us typically make one or two big decisions about our lives every so often. For example, which career to choose? whether to buy a house or not? finding a life partner, or deciding where to take a big vacation. The implications of each of these choices is varied, but one thing is common — the defaults are well laid out for you.

Defaults are what you are supposed to choose. Thats what normal or good people do. It is what society expects you to do, and will shower you with positive energy when you ‘stick to what is right’.

Fred Wilson wrote a thoughtful article about Foursquare and their deliberations to decide the future of their business.

don’t let conventional wisdom force you into making decisions you don’t need to make and you aren’t ready to make, particularly about very big decisions that you will be living with the rest of your life

I find these words extremely valuable in times of ambiguity and lack of a clear way forward.

You are told that the default choice works, despite being either unprepared or in gross disagreement with it. Some times we do it for loved ones, and at other times we refrain from rocking the cradle.

Its not about spending more time with big decisions, but about spending enough to iterate and not be afraid of making an unconventional choice.

Recently, I made the choice of moving back to India after having stayed in America for a little over a decade. Many friends, colleagues, relatives, and general observers were quite baffled by my decision. I made the choice within the context of what is important to me, and that is what matters most.

Do what you think is right for you.

photo credit: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/