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The Biggest Decisions We Make In Life

Ever wonder what the biggest decisions in your life will be? You know, the ones that can have the biggest ramifications on overall happiness and well-being?

I've mulled this over quite a bit and have come up with what I believe to be the most important choices you'll ever make.

1. Choice of partner - Who you'll spend the rest of your life with certainly warrants some thought. After all, you will likely share finances, manage a household, and have children with this person. Unfortunately, as the high divorce rate shows, things may not always turn out as planned.

2. Whether to have children, and how many - The choice of whether to have kids can have life-altering implications. And if you decide to have them, you'll then have to ponder how many to bring into this world. Children bring happiness into a couple's life, but they can just as easily impose physical, emotional, and financial hardship.

3. Choice of career - Choosing the right field might not be as easy as it seems. One must strike the right balance between something that pays you well enough to live comfortably, puts your skills to good use, provides opportunities for growth, and suits your personality.

4. Choice of place to live - Not everyone envisions himself living in a big house enclosed within a white picket fence. Some people may opt for townhouses or condominiums, which are certainly lighter on maintenance and easier on the pocketbook. While some people live in the same house their whole lives, others move to a different city every few years. Where you live can certainly impact your disposal income (cost of living), whether you'll be shoveling snow in the winter or cranking up the air conditioner (New York vs Miami), and so on.

Three of four choices above are by no means static and irreversible. Many people wind up living in several houses (and even cities) throughout their lives. Others remarry more than once, and still others end up switching careers multiple times. But once you have a child, there's no going back!

Do you have any big decisions you feel should be added to this list?


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