By Vincent Van Ross

Every moment in our life is a moment of decision. Some decisions are conscious; some are subconscious and some are unconscious. Sometimes we decide to do something. Sometimes we decide not to do something. Sometimes we decide not to decide on something. But, one way or the other, we are making decisions all the time. Timely decisions are perhaps the best decisions that we make in our lives.

Most decisions are time bound. If we fail to make a decision within the time limit or the deadline for the decision, it becomes time-barred. And, time makes the decision for us and we become helpless. That is why it is not such a good idea to be indecisive in life. Clear thinking people always decide this way or that way on every situation on time. That way they are able to prevent time from forcing decisions on them.

Most decisions are made according to the requirements of that time. Hence, it would not be appropriate to sit in judgment of a decision made several years ago. Similarly, it would not be wise to judge a decision made today at a future date because the situation would have changed by then. The compulsions would have changed. Every decision is related to a specific point in time.

At the time of making a decision, you never know what the result of that decision would be. You would not know whether the decision you are going to make is going to be right or wrong. You are faced with a certain situation. Or, you are faced with an uncertain situation. And, you make your decision based on the different aspects of that situation. It is quite possible that you may not even know some of the aspects of that situation. How can you deliver a right decision when you are not fully informed or if some information is deliberately kept away from you?

It is always easy to criticize a decision in hindsight. Particularly, if the decision turns out to be a wrong decision. If your decision turns out to be a wrong decision, you come to know of it before anyone else. Because, you are the one who is monitoring the fallouts of your decision.

If you have been honest to the situation at the time of making your decision…if you have been honest to yourself…if you have been honest with the parties involved, you should stand your ground. That is why, when you ask great people to comment on their past decisions which are seen to be wrong, they respond the same way time after time. They say that if they are faced with the same situation again, they would make the same decision. That is the kind of conviction they have in their decisions. That they do not swerve because they had no ulterior motive when they made the decision.

But, remember when you are judging a decision after the event, you have the advantage of appraising the decision after the event which the person making the decision did not have. If he had known that his decision would turn out to be wrong, why would he make such a decision? Nobody wants to see himself making a wrong decision.

Everyone turns wise after the event. But, only those who are called in to make momentous decisions at a particular moment in time know what a moment of decision really means!