Do you want chocolate ice cream or vanilla? Do you want two scoops or one? Should I wear sweats or jeans today? Do I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch? Decisions are a regular part of our lives. Whether you know it or not, you make hundreds of decisions throughout the day. What happens when the decisions become harder though? Where should I go to school? What should I major in? Should I take this opportunity or pass on it for another opportunity?

There’s no way around these harder decisions, but there are ways to work through them, and there are things to keep in mind as you make them.

1. It takes a village.

Anytime I have to make a particularly difficult decision I go to some of the most trusted people in my circle and ask for opinions, input, and for somebody to let me talk it out with them openly. I’m by no means asking these people to make the decision for me, but this is my way of gaining perspective and that can help me to see past my own haze.

2. Sometimes neither choice feels right.

There are some situations in life where you have issues with both options. I mean if you never had issues with the choices, would the decision actually be difficult to make? It’s important to remember that there is such a thing as give and take, and it’s important to weigh out the pros and cons. Enter the pros and cons list. This is one of my absolute favorite things to do when I’m stuck between two options.

3. Trust you gut instincts.

They haven’t failed you before, right?Chances are if something doesn’t feel right, it might not actually be the right choice. Don’t be afraid to trust your instincts and make choices based on that little voice in your head that is swaying you one way or the other.

4. Nobody knows you better than you do.

I mentioned above that it takes a village, and I stand by what I said, but I want to add this disclaimer: people can talk all day and they can say they have your best interests at heart, and chances are they do, but nobody knows you as well as you do. Take what they say with a grain of salt. Know that they’re thinking of you, but this choice is ultimately yours to make and needs to be made by you, for you.

5. Sometimes you know what you want to do, but you just don’t want to actually say it.

This one is all too real and all too true. Nine times out of ten, you know exactly what you want to do, and you don’t want to actually make the decision, because somebody somewhere is going to be disappointed. While that is important to think about sometimes, most of the time you need to be your top priority. People might not like the decision you have made, but your happiness sometimes needs to be the priority.

Decisions are a part of life, and while I hope that most of your decisions are simple and straight forward, I know that that is not always the case. Consult your village, prioritize yourself, and know that you will be okay either way, because you’ll do what you need to do to make the situation okay. Keep on keepin’ on.