Decisions, decisions

I'm going to break away from the normal "dad" topic and write a little about decision making. If you read Sadie's blog, you know that this past week we made some decisions about Sadie's classes. School started on Monday for Sadie, and it was a little overwhelming. The last two semesters Sadie took either two or three classes; it really consumed her free-time, and threw life off balance a little. We were trying to figure out if this was really what was best for the family and her long-term.

A while back, I learned about a simple tool for decision making with the letters KUPR:

• KNOWN - What is fact? What do we know about the situation?
• UNKNOWN - What don't we know?
• PRESUMPTIONS - Based on what we know, what do we think is the most probable outcome?
• RISK - What do we stand to lose? What pain could we face as a result of this decision?

This approach has always been helpful for me to organize my thoughts and distinguish fact from guesses. I don't think it's ever been the key to a decision, but more of a helpful brainstorming tool to get started.

As Sadie and I were talking, we (mostly I) started organizing our thoughts with this outline. Once I had it all out, we didn't really refer to it, but it was helpful to at least start thinking about the decision from different angles. 

While this kind of analysis is helpful, I've also learned over the years that emotion plays a vital role in decision making. Trying to map out all the possibilities is important, but really, sometimes you just gotta do what your heart tells you to do. So that's what we did.

When Sadie and I started talking again in the evening, we didn't mention the analysis; we just talked about how we felt. We both felt that the family needed balance, and Sadie spending 15-20 hours a week on homework wouldn't achieve that. We decided that school wasn't the right thing right now, and we brought our decision before the Lord in prayer. We felt great, and decided if we still felt great in the morning, then good-bye classes.

Well the morning came, and both Sadie and I were a little confused. Dropping classes still made sense in my mind, but my heart wasn't in it. Sadie felt the same way; what now?! Long-story short: Sadie learned that she didn't have to finish her degree in 8 years like she thought, so there was no need to cram everything in. She dropped a class, and has been enjoying studying for the remaining class. Taking one class at a time really allows her to enjoy her education and get the most out of it.

I'm very grateful for the processes of receiving revelation through prayer, and for the abilities the Lord gives us to make decisions.