Living with the decisions we make: A wrap up

 

Decision: Go fishing

I figure it is about time to put a bow on this topic and provide some conclusions to the past weeks ramblings.  I hope I have learned something over the past 4 weeks.  As always the stated goal is to gain and maintain a level of control and confidence when making decisions.  This is a brief recap of the previous 4 posts.

1.) What to do when it all goes wrong

This post offered a emotional theme and a logical one.  Our emotional responses may be despair, frustration etc.. To deal with this emotional response we can logically assess an outcome using 3 factors.  The factors are legitimacy, severity and timing

2.) Living with the decisions we make. Part 1

This post concluded with guardrails and constraints.  The important idea was how these change when we retire.  There are many uncertainties to deal with in retirement.

3.) Living with the decisions we make. Part 2 Simple steps

One way we deal with decisions going wrong is to put it behind us and move on.  We often do this when any response to a poor outcome would not lead to any tangible benefit. 

4.) Living with the decisions we make. Part 3: Interesting week

There will always be "outcomes"  but our accomplishments along the way are the most important.  The "good old days" are good because there is no reason to worry about them.  There is no uncertainty about the past.

Looking back at it all I have to say that part 1 and part 3 are the more insightful posts.  I introduced the factors of legitimacy, severity and timing in the first post.  These are hardly earth shattering insights.  I am sure this method of assessing a situation could be found in many self help resources.  Part 2 talked about moving on from from a decision when you see no benefit from rectifying it.  Again not what I would call an original thought.  All our lives we have been told to suck it up and move on.  So what is it about guardrails, constraints and accomplishments that are insightful?

What differs guardrails and constraints?  In my mind a constraint is imposed by external forces.  A guardrail is internally imposed.  My example of a constraint has been I cannot do "X" because I have to work.  Having to work is a constraint on your time.  That constraint evaporates in retirement.  An example of a guardrail could be a limit on travel.  As I mention in Part 1 I do not want to be frivolous with my time or money.  I do not want to travel just for travel sake.  So I put guardrails on my travel.  I do not plan to take a fancy vacation every year.  I figure one every 5 years is about all I could handle.  Setting guardrails comes from knowing yourself and what makes you happy.  External constraints and guardrails do overlap.  In retirement money will always be a constraint.  Hopefully the guardrails I impose will work within the constraints not against them.

In part 3 I focused on accomplishments and how they differ from outcomes.  Also that these accomplishments are really the key in living with our decisions.  The outcomes are important but not to the extent that they affect our decisions.  We always desire a specific outcome when we make a decision.  We do not make decisions and hope for a negative outcome.  If we get the outcome we desire we are happy and we move on.  If we get a negative outcome we learn as best we can from it and move on.  It is the learning and accomplishments we should focusing on.  The outcomes will be what they will be.

I still want to experience life and leave the world a better place for my children and grandchildren.  I will impose guardrails to ensure I can live my life with this guiding me.