We are faced with decisions every day. What clothes to wear, food to eat, how to interact with others. Change is tough for people because it’s so comfortable to stay in routine.
Like I talked about in T4T8, structure can often give us more freedom in our lives by reducing the cognitive load of decision making. By using less mental energy for structural decisions we free up space to be more creative and present.
This past week was my last working at ConvertKit, the email marketing company I’ve been at for 3.5 years. I’m going to work at Podia, an online storefront for creators to sell their books, courses, and memberships.
In some ways I had that going for me at ConvertKit. I had built a lot of the structure needed to think really creatively about the problems we were trying to solve. I had a lot of comfort and autonomy in my work.
But I still left. Why is that?
What helps me make big, difficult decisions like this are the principles I try to follow in life and work. Defining them is a work in progress, but it’s a good way to think through big decisions.
- Growth
- Responsibility
- Ownership
- Opportunity
- Timing
I put my decision to leave ConvertKit for Podia through the filter of these principles. How did the choice hold up? Do certain principles carry more weight in this decision?
The decision to leave was a huge one. I loved my time at ConvertKit – the people I was able to work with, the product, and the customers we served. I want to share my thought process to help you go through the next big decision in your life.
I’ve found the hardest decisions are often choices between two good outcomes. That’s part of what makes the decision difficult. I would have been happy at ConvertKit, but Podia was a great opportunity too.
Picking between a good opportunity and a bad one isn’t a hard decision. If you don’t like your job and you have the chance to take a job you like, that’s not hard. So we won’t focus on that type of choice.
These are choices between two good jobs, cities, colleges, etc. The kind of choice that’s going to influence everything else about your life. That’s what makes the decision so intense. Where you work and live has an outsized impact on everything else in your life.
What’s important to realize is there may not be a clear winner in the decision, you’re looking at two good outcomes, remember? Oftentimes the decision comes down to a decision to stay put or strike out to a new opportunity. The new frontier or the status quo.
In essence my decision to join Podia became about this distinction. Stay in a good place at ConvertKit or take on a new opportunity at Podia? If two choices are relatively well-balanced I find it helpful to break down the decision to one core element like this one.
In the end Podia is a great opportunity for me to grow professionally and personally. I’ll be leading their customer success team and helping the company grow in a similar way to ConvertKit.
If you’re facing a big decision in your life (or next time you are) – consider these elements as helpful guideposts to making a choice.
- Principles
- Family Impact
- Discussing with Mentors
- Financial Implications
Last thing on this, just to make it ultra clear. When faced with two good options it’s important to have the strength of will to live with your decision even if it turns out to be the “wrong one” in the long run.
In this instance – what if Podia doesn’t reach the same heights as ConvertKit, while at the same time the latter continues to climb? That long-term outcome would have financial implications for me (missed profit-sharing and shares). The fear not screwing up a good thing can be a powerful force.
Even if that became the result, I have to be ok with it at the outset. I can do that by measuring the initial decision against my principles. Podia gives me more opportunity for growth and ownership while challenging me to take responsibility for the success of the company.
See the difference there? Choosing Podia is a proactive decision based on my principles rather than a fear-based reaction to “I don’t want to lose out on money I may earn in the future”.
There’s no one right way to make big decisions in life. I believe the best way to do it is by having principles and models to filter the decision through, understanding different types of outcomes, and discussing with people close to you who are impacted by your decision.
I hope this helps you think through any big decisions in your life. If you have any models or principles for choices, I’d love to hear them. Just leave a comment on the post!
Have a great week,
Matt
Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash