A Guide to Life Decision-making to Avoid Twists and Turns
Imagine, if you will, a souped-up DeLorean that can traverse the tricky terrains of your life’s biggest decisions, from career moves to personal choices. Picture Marty McFly and Doc Brown by your side, zipping through time to show you the outcomes of your decisions – both the spectacular and the not-so-swell. Sounds dreamy, right? Welcome to the ‘Back to the Future’ approach to understanding the intricate dance of decision-making, complete with fewer regrets and more certainties.
The DeLorean Dilemma: Picking Your Time Machine
Choosing a path in life can feel a lot like picking the right setting on the time circuits of the DeLorean. Set it for one date, and you’re a rock star entrepreneur; another, and you’re a world traveller with stories galore. But here’s the catch – unlike Marty, we don’t have a flux capacitor to help us peek into each timeline.
So, how do you choose without that peek? Well, each decision starts with understanding your own values and goals – your personal ‘flux capacitor’, if you will. Are you aiming for financial security, or is personal fulfilment your endgame? Maybe a mix of both? Knowing this is like having your DeLorean’s dashboard clearly lit and operational.
The Marty McFly Method: Impulsive or Insightful?
Marty’s often impulsive decisions (hello, sports almanac debacle) teach us something vital about snap judgments. While sometimes necessary, they can lead to unintended consequences – like Biff Tannen becoming a tycoon. In our lives, this could look like taking a job for the salary and hating every minute of it, or moving to a new city on a whim without considering the rainy weather you despise.
To avoid these pitfalls, channel your inner Doc Brown – think things through, weigh the pros and cons, and maybe (just maybe) consider creating a pros-and-cons list on a giant chalkboard. It’s less about not taking risks and more about taking calculated ones.
Great Scott! The Ripple Effects of Our Choices
Every decision sends ripples through time, affecting future opportunities and choices. Choose to study graphic design, and you might miss out on a burgeoning passion for marine biology. But here’s where the trilogy shines – it shows us that while some choices close doors, others open new ones, often with better, unexpected outcomes.
The lesson? Embrace the ripple effects. Sometimes, what feels like a misstep (accidentally helping Biff become rich) can lead you to valuable life lessons (overcoming obstacles and restoring the timeline).
Doc’s Doctrine: It’s About the Future
Doc Brown famously says, “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one.” This is the heart of decision-making. It’s easy to dwell on past mistakes or worry about future regrets, but what truly matters is the action you take now.
Consider every big decision an opportunity to steer your own time machine. Sure, you don’t know exactly where you’ll end up, but you do have control over the direction you choose. Want to change careers, go back to school, or start a new relationship? Go for it! The future is not set in stone and, like any good time traveller, you can adjust along the way.
Laughing at the Libyans: Finding Humour in Chaos
Lastly, let’s not forget the value of humour. Just as Marty and Doc find moments to laugh amidst the chaos (outrunning terrorists in a mall parking lot, anyone?), we too should find the humour in our missteps and unexpected outcomes. Didn’t get that job? Maybe it’s the universe’s way of saying you wouldn’t have liked the commute.
Life, much like ‘Back to the Future’, is unpredictable, occasionally nonsensical, and frankly, best enjoyed with a healthy dose of laughter and the occasional dramatic flair.
So, strap into your DeLorean, fire up your flux capacitor, and zoom into the future of your making. Remember, every decision counts, but it’s the journey – the wild, unpredictable, time-travelling journey – that makes it all worthwhile. And hey, if all else fails, there’s always time travel. Wait, is that not invented yet?
Words by Dr Abilio Oliveira
