On Decision Making: Trust your Values

In our lives and careers, we’re faced with hundreds of decisions daily. Some of them are mundane and inconsequential, but others (such as a career juncture or several competing jobs) will directly impact nearly all facets of our future lives.

Above all else, make big decisions in light of your immutable values.

Your immutable values are effectively the personal code you aim to live your life by. They are values that you’ve realized (through trial and error) mean the most to your happiness, fulfillment, and sense of purpose.

It’s natural for opportunities with attached social status and recognition to cloud our judgment. The challenge is, as Stephen Covey puts it, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”

So what can you do? First, don’t abandon your values. Ask yourself honestly: Am I making this decision because I like the idea of the status and recognition? Is this at all aligned with who I am, what fulfills me, and what I’ve learned that I value?

How so, or how not?

For example, say you’re a sought after freelance industrial design specialist. Apple solicits, saying “we think you’d be the perfect person to lead one of the design teams here for this new product we’re developing.” This could be a great opportunity, but it could also be a “pass” if it completely compromises your immutable values of flexibility, creative autonomy, and location independence.
The influence of status, societal recognition, and of course – a bigger paycheck – on our decision making is insidious. Know your code, what actually matters to you, and let it serve as your compass. In the end, you will be better for it. Keep in mind, as Tony Robbins is fond of saying, “success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” Generalization as it may be, there is more than a kernel of wisdom in that phrase.