I am one of the most indecisive people I know. I take forever to commit to simple decisions, such as picking what to eat for lunch or what plans to make with friends. I try to determine which one I will enjoy the most or try to take in all my friends preferences and ignore my own. I feel overwhelmed because I see all these different pathways I could choose to take and I don't want to miss out on any of them. It is experiencing FOMO before the event you are worried about missing out on is happening.
This feeling intensifies when I have to make important or big decisions. For instance, choosing which university to attend. I mulled over the decision for a month. Every day brought a new concern, some big, like living on my own away from home and some small, like which clothes to bring with me. Every "what if" scenario played through my head. I felt stuck. I asked others for their opinions to try to formulate my own opinion. This was somewhat helpful, but then I had conflicting opinions to choose between. I wanted someone else to make the decision for me and I would follow along.
However, I did end up making a decision on my own in the end. It was my life, and I was going to be the one who would have to deal with the consequences. Although I did use logical factors to guide, like financial aid, programs, and location, I relied on how I felt when I thought about my future and my feelings when I was visiting the campus. I realized I kept thinking about the campus after I visited. I could imagine myself away from home. It felt better than when I imagined myself attending another school. Ultimately, when I submitted my deposit and made my decision, I was still nervous, but not unsure of my decision.
After making one of the biggest decisions of my life, I realized I should give my emotions a little bit more weight sometimes. If I go to one of the many activities on campus when I know I should be studying, I know I won't feel good after I am behind on my work or receive a bad grade on an assignment or exam. If I'm excited to try something new, I should not back out the day of suddenly if my day was bad. I know I will regret not going later.
The most important lesson I gained from this experience is that I should follow through with any decision I make. Regretting everytime you choose to do one thing over another only serves to make you miserable. You never accept what you choose and constantly lose the chance to live in the moment. Everything had pros and cons. Once you make a choice, you must also choose to accept what comes with them. Most often, if the choice felt right from the beginning, it will feel right later too.
