I've never tried to count the many decisions I make in a day. From deciding whether to hop out of bed as soon as the alarm rings to deciding what to listen to as I fall asleep, every day I make hundreds, probably thousands of little decisions. Many are easy, or at least inconsequential. What to wear is always a big one for me, but what to have for lunch, not so much.
In my work life I'm faced with many decisions, too. In fact, in a sense that is my job, to make decisions. I remember once hearing an interview with President Obama where he was asked what were the hardest decisions he had to make. In reply, he said that by the time they get to him, all the decisions are hard, someone else has made the easy ones. Not to presume that anything I decide has quite the weight of a presidential decision, but I can sympathize a bit.
I've come to understand over the years that few decisions are clear cut. The many alternative routes can all have some value or merit, and some downsides as well. The best we can do is....do our best. Make the best decision we can with the information we have. Sometimes we will come to see that we made a bad decision, that the outcome is not what we expected or wanted. All we can do then is try to make it better.
In a commencement speech the late Nora Ephron made the point that few decisions in life are irreversible. Talking about the choices facing women she said, "[Life] will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it will be like, but surprises are good for you. And don't be frightened: you can always change your mind. I know: I've had four careers and three husbands."
Life is messy, it is complicated, not everything turns out as you expected it. We do the best we can. Recognizing that is probably the best decision to make.
