Monday Morning Quarterback

Note: Blogger had marked my blog as Spam (I think because I tried to have more than 5 tags for one post.) Sorry for any inconvenience.

Making mistakes…if only we could avoid doing that. Have you ever took on an obligation, accepted or quit a job, decided to move, or, referring back to last week’s post trusted someone, and then regretted doing so? How many times have you thought “I wish I hadn’t (or had) done ___________?”

Recent example: the pain specialist recommended medication for my foot. One dose made me so nauseated I could barely get off the couch. Felt like a zombie and couldn’t focus. Perhaps I should have stopped taking it right then. But the doctor and an anesthesiologist friend agreed that the benefits would outweigh the side effects.

So I persisted for several more days…to no avail. Finally I stopped taking it and am waiting to hear from the doctor about next steps. Do I now regret wasting days feeling awful and so getting very little accomplished? Yes. But I did it…because I accepted the advice of professionals and want my foot to stop hurting. Did I have doubts because I know there are medicines I can’t tolerate? Yes. Did I think the drug was worth a try? Yes.

So how do you know when to trust your instincts and when to weigh and analyze pros and cons?

These articles recommend a mix of both approaches:

To Your Health
About.com: Mental Health
wikiHow

I think you also have to weigh your instincts. Even if you think you’re making a good decision, doubts may linger. If you ignore and push aside the doubts, they might come back to haunt you on Monday, after the game has been played. One idea consider is to discuss your plans with an adivisory board of friends, family and colleagues, and add their thoughts and opinions to the mix.

Sometimes it’s hard to be sure you’re doing the right thing. Only time will tell.