What is the best and worst decision you ever made?

Discussion in 'Community Discussion' started by w00tmaster, Feb 11, 2006.

  1. w00tmaster macrumors regular

    Jun 21, 2004
    I've decided to leave my well paying, but boring, and secure job in Germany to either go back to the States or maybe take another shot at Japan. This is either going to be the best or worst decision I have ever made, so naturally I want to ask my fellow Macrumors posters, what is the best AND the worst decision you ever made? How have both affected you?
  2. Les Kern macrumors 68040

    Les Kern

    Apr 26, 2002
    I had a well-paying and secure job as you do. I took a $10,000 pay cut to go into educational IT. The start was rough, but after 10 years I feel like I'm doing something important, and best of all I'm making more than TWICE as much as I made at the job I left - adjusted for inflation even.
    My worst was leaving the east coast and moving to a small Illinois town in hopes of experiencing something different. The next 10 years were probably the lowest point in my life. I didn't have my prospects lined up.
    BUT, if you don't have something lined up here, please reconsider. I don't know what your line of work is, but there is a real issue of erosion of those higher paying jobs. More and more service industry, fewer upper-middle class paychecks to be had. Think twice about coming here. Japan is looking pretty grim too. Can you stay there and cram away cash until you have a secured position in either location?
  3. Josh macrumors 68000


    Mar 4, 2004
    State College, PA
    The best decision I've ever made: Turning down my Navy recruiter seriously *minutes* before being sworn in, and accepting my current job w. the State of Michigan (which allowed me to go to college - 2 blocks from where I work, without being lied to, manipulated, or sent to die for a bogus war). It also led to many friendships and academic oppertunities I don't think I would have had any other way. (with no disrespect to those in/previously in the armed services).

    Worst decision: Yesterday, at Blimpies, I chose jalepeno+chedder bread for my sub. It was not only hotter than I'd have liked, it made me sick for the rest of the day.
  4. thedude110 macrumors 68020


    Jun 13, 2005
    The two best decisions I ever made were educational decisions:

    1. To ignore everyone around me and major in philosophy as an undergraduate. It shaped my life in a day to day way -- in the way I think about "being" and in how I can think about living ethically with and toward others.

    2. To spend two years of my llife doing nothing but studying poetry. I was under serious economic and family pressure, but I got by on $700 a month and good books for a couple of years.

    Then I started teaching. And I've been really tired ever since.

    I don't want to think about my worst decisions. There's too much regret in everyone's lives to maintain our flickering joy.
  5. 7on macrumors 601


    Nov 9, 2003
    Dress Rosa
    Worst decision: women
    Best decision: women

    That's usually how it goes.
  6. Lau Guest

    The best decisions?

    After dropping out of a painting degree, I went back to college to study design, which I then narrowed down to be graphic design. It is amazing, and I hate to think where I'd be if I hadn't done it, in spite of it being a financial struggle and a lot of upheaval. Probably dead in a gutter in Edinburgh, to be honest. :eek:

    <looks around nervously> I also wasn't that sure about my boyfriend when I started seeing him (4 years ago), but after sticking it with him we're engaged and he's my best friend. Slightly vomit-worthy story, but I very easily could have walked away from it, and I'm very glad I didn't.

    Interesting that the best decisions I made were ones that involved taking a chance. I'm not sure I'd ever regret doing that, even if it turned out wrong.

    I can't think of a bad one. I've screwed up more times than I can count, but maybe due to taking chances like that, I don't think I've ever made a huge bad decision. I could say the fact I chose the wrong degree in the first place, or that I went out with people that were the 'wrong' ones before Liam, but I don't think they were bad decisions, because it was worth a try.
  7. njmac macrumors 68000


    Jan 6, 2004
    My worst decision was not investing and saving my money wisely ( I know that's more like a pattern of decisions)

    My best decision was to stay home with my children and be their primary care giver even though most women today go back to work within 3 months.
  8. Deepdale macrumors 68000


    May 4, 2005
    New York
    Worst was not actively pursuing other positions years ago when I had excellent chances of being given the jobs had I only expressed an interest

    Best was staying single ... it clearly has drawbacks but for me it was the best fit. No regrets (it is not like having regrets makes anything better).
  9. Josh macrumors 68000


    Mar 4, 2004
    State College, PA
    Excellent decisions. Why did you stop studying poetry? $700 a month is plenty...("A man is rich in proportion to the things he can afford to let alone")
  10. eva01 macrumors 601


    Feb 22, 2005
    Gah! Plymouth
    depending on where you live 700 dollars is nothing for living around this part of MA.

    Its minimum 1000 for a 1 bedroom apartment.
  11. thedude110 macrumors 68020


    Jun 13, 2005
    It's not that I stopped studying poetry, it's more that life got in the way. I fell in love, and I reached a crossroads. Do I pursue a PhD in English (what I really wanted to do) or do I support my girlfriend while she pursues her graduate degree? I decided I loved my girlfriend (now fiancee) more than I loved my books, and so I started teaching to pay our rent and bills. That was 6 years ago, and over those 6 years I've grown (and shrunk) and dreams have faded and emerged.

    I don't know that I'll teach forever. Working with 16 year olds every day has a way of making you feel really distanced from the arts, now matter how many poetry readings you go to. I've been thinking about some "Arts Entrepreneurship" opportunities, but it's awfully hard to leave a secure paycheck to start an organization that's so likely to fail. In the meantime, there's enough beauty to go around -- there's Phillip Jenks, there's Julianna Spahr, and there's Lisa Jarnot.
  12. applegirl macrumors regular


    Nov 9, 2005
    In Cancun. Be back never.
    Worst decision: Not going to law school this past August because it was "too far away" from home according to certain relatives. I'm trying to make up for it by reapplying for this coming August.

    Best decision: Going on a spontaneous vacation when I hit a low point, it put things into perspective and gave me a welcome break after going through a lot of crap for almost a year.
  13. iGary Guest


    May 26, 2004
    Randy's House
    Best: Learning how to take pictures.

    Worst: Not finishing my degree.
  14. devilot Moderator emeritus


    May 1, 2005
    Best: deciding to go against all the critical voices that didn't want me and my boyfriend to be together (his friends said I was using him as a rebound, my mother said he still had feelings for an exfriend of mine). Almost four years later, we're still together. :D

    Worst: allowing my own ego, self pressure, and the pressure of family/friends to get to me and deciding to go to Cal even though I guessed I wouldn't be happy there. I was miserable.
  15. Abstract macrumors Penryn


    Dec 27, 2002
    Location Location Location
  16. Josh macrumors 68000


    Mar 4, 2004
    State College, PA
    This is true, if you live to seek and spend money.

    The point I was making, was that with $700, you could be the richest man in the world and live in a house fit for a king.

    The difference is what you recognize as being rich, and that the gathering of money and material things are not what everyone considers "being rich." You can be rich and not have a penny to your name, as I see things. Or, you could have all the money in the world, and be the poorest individual in the world (which is more often the case).

    Infact, I think that the more money we aquire, the poorer we get. It's like the 16 year old kid who only buys a car so he can drive it to work. If he didn't work, he wouldn't need the car. It's a terrible cycle that, simply put, is a waste of one's life.

    If you find yourself not being able to afford things, rather than spend your life in busywork to get the money, you should seek other things to afford. It's not getting what you want, but wanting what you've got.
  17. yankeefan24 macrumors 65816


    Dec 24, 2005
  18. mad jew Moderator emeritus

    mad jew

    Apr 3, 2004
    Adelaide, Australia
    Best: switching to Mac.

    Worst: getting to bed at 6:00AM this morning because I was having too much fun. :eek:

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