Describe your thought process when it comes to making big life decisions

[FemMecha]

I tend to think long-term and attempt to consider all possible ramifications, and then I make the choice and follow through regardless of how I feel in the short-term. I try to consider everything from the pragmatic, to the deeply internal and personal, to the clear reason of it. I'm never entirely certain of a choice, but after looking at it from every angle I know, I think of the "best" choice of having a more-than-likely chance of having a good result. Then I close my eyes and leap no matter how scary it is. I tend to be rather aware of how short life is, so I do take risks - sometimes great big ones.

 

[miss fortune]

I like flipping coins, (no, really I mean)

I sit in anguish for a bit, because I can see enough positives and negatives of any situation that it seems almost pointless to say that one option is the "better" one...

... then I flip a coin

seriously, I carry a few special coins in my pocket just to flip for decision making!

 

[wolfy]

Moving to Japan

4 years ago I decided to move back to Japan. I'd lived in Japan before with my wife who is Japanese. But this time I had 2 kids to take too.

How did I decide to go and my thought process.

First I had the idea out of the blue to go back. No real reason.

Then I started mulling the idea over in my head. Seeing whether it was viable and if there were any good reasons to do so.

Then I starting thinking about the logistics of the move.
I planned a general outline of how it would work. How it would affect our kids and our future.

Then I asked my wife's opinion. I did a little Q and A with her.
We mulled it over for 1 month. Just the two of us.

I planned time lines etc

Then we told others

And then we made the move.

 

[ajblaise]

When I can, I research things sometimes to the point of absurdity. And I usually start with a vague idea of what I want to do or accomplish, and then I analyze and rationalize in order to make that idea more concrete, and the more concrete it is to begin with, the less I have to analyze. But if the analysis tells me that my initial notion was wrong, I have to step even further back and re-assess and start over.

 

[cherchair]

Describe your thought process when it comes to making life decisions

My decision-making process is definitely affected by my mood. When hypomanic--or worse, manic--I decision-making is driven almost completely by impulse, no matter how life-affecting the decision. (Example: this is how I decided to marry my first husband.) During depressions, I am completely indecisive and will make no decision;instead I wait for circumstances to make the choice for me. (Example: my decision to drop out of college during my third year of undergraduate school.)

When in remission, I tend to weigh the pros and cons, talk to friends who have recently been faced with similar decisions to get a read on their thought processes on the subject at hand and come to a decision after reaching my own conclusions about how my choice will affect my life long term. (Example: my decision to have children after resisting the idea until I was 36.)

 

[Costrin]

I absorb all available information I can on the topic while at the same envisioning the possibly consequences of each choice. I constantly reevaluate, revise and tweak my model as each new bit of information is assimilated. When I feel I've gotten a fairly accurate model, I go to people close to me and ask their opinion, and why they think I should choose one way or another. Repeat ad nauseum until I can't delay the decision any longer, and I go with what I feel will benefit me the most.

 

[Glycerine]

I just get this idea in my head and will do w/e it takes to fulfil it. For instance, I really want to go to grad school but I don't know for what. I just started to work towards a high GPA in hopes of getting into some good grad program. Otherwise I am way too indecisive and am always second-guessing my decisions. It's not pretty.

 

[tibby]

Think of all the sides to the issue - logically.

I isolate my emotions and feel things through rationally. I think it's the only way to make the right decision and only then can I follow my Ni. I try to make the right thing and decision.

For example my ISFJ sis stays in a bad and unhealthy relationship just because she doesn't want to do as horrible thing to her fiancee as breaking up. Even she knows it won't work. She bases her decisions on her emotions and loyalty.

I sort of "see my way through to the future" and just know what courses of action to take based on my decisions. My whole life is like a big huge coincidence.

Can't explain it better.