Individual decisions might seem ideal, but placed in the context of a larger series of plans, those same decisions might not make any sense at all. Your goals, your plans, your daily activities and habits can’t be evaluated in isolation from one another.
Your purpose is to make, not a series of independent decisions that by themselves make sense, but a series of decisions that together make sense for your life.
When Isabel and Michael were about to become parents, they agreed on the need for one of them to stay home with the baby. Without really discussing the situation, both assumed Isabel would resign from her job as a nurse. They thought it was the natural thing to do; when a parent needs to stay home, it’s the mother’s responsibility.
Isabel went on maternity leave and gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. While still on maternity leave, however, Isabel began to rethink her decision. Her income was higher than her husband’s. Her medical benefits were better. What sense did it make for her to leave her job when she had the better job?
They discussed it, and although Michael was surprised at the idea, he could not argue with the financial advantages.
It took some getting used to for Michael, not earning an income and being dependent on Isabel’s salary. But the decision made sense for the family, as Michael could see. “Isabel’s salary is the family’s money, and our daughter is the best career anyone could ask for.”
Fewer than two in ten people use a decision-making strategy that addresses how their decisions fit into all phases of their life, including those that appear unrelated. Most people make decisions by examining only factors that seem directly related.
Ichniowski, Levine, Olsen, and Strauss 2000