There are pivotal points in every person's life. Typically, these are times when one has to make difficult decision and weigh the advantages and the disadvantages a course of action. In my case, the pivotal point came after high school when I had to decide whether or not to attend college immediately or alternatively to take some time off and earn some money. For many of my friends, the obvious choice was to enter the workforce and earn money quickly.
For me, the choice came down to immediate gratification in the form of a paycheck or deferred gratification in the form of higher lifetime earnings that college graduates earn. The lifetime earnings disparity became one of the decision points for me. Another point was the concern that if I did not start attending college right away that I might never do so. Another deciding factor involved disappointing my family by not attending college. The fact that my grades and test scores were good enough for me to be accepted meant that I would be throwing away a great opportunity if I chose to work. Another consideration involved whether to work full time and attend college part time or whether to work part time and attend college full time. According to Melissa Ezarik writing in Current Health, there are five distinct steps in making difficult decisions. They are:
Describe the problem or issue. Identify all the viewpoints of the people involved.
Explore It. The more possible options considered the greater the chance that one will be the right one.
Narrow the available options. List pros and cons. Consider positive or negative consequences of the options.
Accept the decision and the known as well as the unknown, unexpected or unintended consequences of the decision (Ezarik, 2004).
Ultimately, the pivotal decision was made and I became a full time college student with a part time job. The decision was made in large part because I bel
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