We make decisions every single day. Some of these decisions are small and may seem insignificant while others could be life-changing. When it comes to the little stuff, how to do something or make a decision may not seem that important. However, when it comes to big decisions, the consequences are considerably more impactful.
When it comes to making tough choices, not making a choice or doing anything about the situation at all is the worst option. When you see life as happening for you rather than to you, you will realize something big. That even when you think you have taken the wrong step, you have learned a valuable lesson that will help you in the long run as the next time something similar happens, you will be armed with more information. Even if you are not struggling to learn how to make a big decision, you can still waste precious time procrastinating on the smaller choices in life.
Why Doing What’s Best and Doing What’s Right Aren’t the Same Thing?
It may seem that doing what’s best and doing what’s right are the same thing. But there is a difference. Doing what’s best in a particular scenario means that even if you are not sure that it was the right thing to do, you can have the satisfaction that you did your best and finished the task. Doing the right thing may seem like a superior choice initially, but in many ways, making the best decision and doing what’s best is better.
Doing what is best means that even if you didn’t get the satisfaction of achieving a certain output, you should still be proud that you gave your best and finished the task. Although it may not feel right, you still did it with precision and effort, and that’s what’s important.
Generally speaking, it is easy to want things done the right way. However, the need for doing what is right isn’t always a superior option. This is because there may be situations where you could end up regretting not giving your best and reaching for the standard you wanted. There’s a difference between striving to do what’s right and actually giving your best considering the circumstances. At some point, you will realize that prioritizing what’s best over what’s right isn’t so bad and despite the flaws, finishing a task or making a decision to the best of your abilities is a major accomplishment.
Situations That Require Doing What is Best vs. Doing What is Right
Consider the following scenarios:
- You are deciding something that is related to a situation that someone else has caused.
- You are making a decision related to a situation that your own mistakes or poor decisions have caused.
- You find it difficult to consider the available choices that you prefer to stay in a fantasy that if you ignore all the options, eventually the decision you wish to make will become available.
- You are having to do something where the expected outcomes feel like a lose-lose, e.g. no matter whether you give your best or do what’s right, you are likely to have some negative thoughts or feelings associated with the task or must go against one of your core values.
Making decisions in such scenarios can be very difficult. Insult to injury is expecting to feel some happiness or satisfaction as you make this kind of decision. If there’s anything positive in such a situation, it will likely appear once your initial decision on doing the right thing in a challenging scenario has transformed into accepting that you did the best you could.
If you don’t know which way to turn and you feel stuck, bear in mind that accepting the reality of a difficult situation is the sign of growth. It is healthy to make the best choice you can while fully processing the feelings and perhaps regretting that you prioritized it over doing what felt right at that time.
Tips to Help You Make the Best Choices
Following are some tips that will help you make the best choices and deal with difficult situations better:
- Practice self-care.
- Talk to others but keep in mind that some people may not understand that you are in a difficult situation where both the right choice and the best choice exist.
- Honor that you have two conflicting values.
- There are no bad options but you can only act on one of them. If there’s no immediate harm associated with not taking action, then it is recommended that you give yourself time to reflect on the pros and cons of each choice.
- Again, if you can give yourself time, consider measuring yourself every day.
- Determine what decision you lean toward more and why.
- Take a look at general trends and use the results as a guide to act upon when it is time for you to act.
- Keep in mind that when you do take action, it is unlikely to feel satisfying or good. Be sure to have a self-care plan so you can avoid backing down.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article was able to shed insight into why doing what is best is better than what is right. At the end of the day, striving to do what’s right is a moral state of mind. By choosing a path of making the best decision or taking the best action in a particular scenario, you are taking care of yourself in your own distinct way.
So, do what is best when you are in a predicament where you have to make a big decision, even if it requires you to work harder, develop more patience, slow down, or having to put more effort into things. Being enlightened is something we should all strive for. Be willing to do what’s best, even if it’s harder to do than doing what’s right. At the end of the day, you shouldn’t hold yourself back just to procrastinate whenever you have to make a decision.
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