Have you ever felt nervous about making a decision that could affect the rest of your life? Sometimes even seemingly minor decisions can send you into a fit of anxiety when you begin thinking of all the things that could go wrong.

It's fairly common for people to vacillate back and forth between several choices, whether they are related to career, money, business, opportunities, or even relationships. How do you know which choice is the best one for you in any given situation? Sometimes the best choice is obvious, but other times they all seem to hold a glimmer of possibility - and the threat of regret.

The good news is that making wise decisions is a matter of weighing the potential pros and cons of every available outcome. Below you'll find a simple 3-step process to help you make wise decisions no matter what part of your life they may affect.

• What Do You Stand to Gain? When you've got more than one option to choose from, a great first question to ask of each one is, "What do I stand to gain from choosing this option?" If the rewards are big, you might be willing to withstand a bit of risk in order to benefit from the opportunity. Conversely, if the payoff would be small, you might not feel so confident about taking a chance right now.
  
  
• What Do You Stand to Lose? The next question to ask is, "What do I stand to lose if this option doesn't work out?" No one likes to think of the negatives in a potential opportunity, but you could save yourself a lot of heartache with a bit of foresight! If your losses could be huge with a particular option, you might decide to hold off for awhile to see if the odds improve over time.