the wrong decision - so what?

Have you ever made - and, more importantly, announced - a decision, only to stand on the brink of taking that first step down the new path and feel that sinking feeling:  ‘Gah! This isn’t right!’ (I’m talking to you, Kim Kardashian).

Multi-million marital media deals aside, we all experience pressure to look as though we ‘know what we’re doing’ - even if, in our quieter moments – we realise we’re on completely the wrong track.

I know someone who once walked down the aisle to the wrong man.  I remember her saying that she’d ‘shut the gate after the horse had bolted.’   The expectation to go through with the wedding was greater than the sense that she didn’t want to.

Perhaps you’ve accepted a job role that you could easily do (but would you like it?) or moved interstate at the wrong time, or to the wrong place.  Maybe you bought something silly on the spur of the moment or accepted an invitation to something against your better judgement.

What is it about taking a ‘U-turn’ on a decision that we’ve made public that makes us choose to go through with something that would make us miserable, rather than admit we’ve made a mistake?   

Will we look flaky and uncertain?  

Perhaps, but what if, by changing our minds at the eleventh hour, we’re actually seen as gutsy and confident?  What if other people wished they had that conviction and flexibility, and admired us for it?

The key to a successful ‘retreat’ is to act swiftly and decisively.  Australia’s nationalism has been built on a successful retreat from Gallipoli – not a victory.  It was a military debacle, but gosh – we got out of there elegantly... We're proud of our exit.

Next time you’re having a ‘Kim Kardashian’ moment (not wanting to ‘disappoint your fans’ by changing your mind, even though you may want to) – ask yourself whose life you’re really living, and remember that great honour can be found in a well-executed retreat.