Tonight I was trying to make a decision about a new project I’m considering. Do I pursue it or not? Will this be a good thing for me or a drain on my time and energy? I decided I had to ask some big questions, and I came up with a rather long list of questions that I thought might help others in making decisions as well. Here is the edited version:

Basic questions:
Do I have a good chance of success with this?
Will it give me more benefits or more problems?
Are the solutions and methods clear?
Is the idea supported by people I truly respect? Do I respect their opinion in this particular case?
Is this an idea whose time has come, or whose time has passed?
Is this a leading edge, bleeding edge, or trailing edge idea?

Service:
Will I hurt anyone else in serving my own needs?
Will I help others by pursuing my goals, and get a win-win?
Will I be serving everyone’s needs in addition to my own?
Am I contributing something of value?

Integrity and reputation:
Will I have to lie or hide the truth in any way?
Can I be 100% honest?
Is this a truly creative endeavour or an unethical twist?
Is there anything inherently unethical, dishonest or illegal about this?
Will I build a positive reputation or a negative one?
Will I be viewed as more trustworthy as I pursue this?
Will I achieve greater respect?
Will I have to sell something I don’t believe in?
Is this something I can be proud of?
Will I break any agreements by pursuing this?
Would my parents be proud?
Do other honest, trustworthy people do this kind of thing?
Do the ends justify the means?

Support:
Will I have full support from creative, supportive, honest and positive people?
Will everyone be honest with me?

Greater life goals:
Will I learn greater truth?
Will I achieve greater freedom?
Will this expand my capacity for compassion?
Will it make me more confident?
Will this teach me valuable skills that I can apply elsewhere?

Fear vs. Love
Am I running to something or away from something?
Is my decision coming from a place of love or a place of fear?
Does this serve my Spirit or my Ego?
How do I feel about it in my gut?
Am I excited about it or turned off?
If I feel fear, is it a “stretch” fear (breaking through limitations) or a conscience fear (guilt, loss of integrity)?
Is this a good challenge or a hassle challenge?
What are my true motives and real reasons for doing this?

How it fits into my life:
Do I perceive this to be a hassle?
If it seems like a hassle, why? Is it because it’s difficult or because it’s something I hate?
What other commitments am I willing to give up to do this?
What comforts am I willing to give up?
Does this fit well with other things that are important to me?
Is this part of a bigger plan that works for me, or will this work against my other plans?
Do I have the time, the energy and the money to do this?
Is this something I’d like to try now, or wait and try later?
Is this something I want to do for the inherent joy of doing it or because of the end result?
Will I likely get bored with it and quit? What are the consequences of quitting early?
Am I ready to succeed? What are the consequences of success?
How will this affect my relationships?

Past experience:
What past experiences have I had with this type of venture?
What stories have I heard about it?
Have I tried this before and liked it? Hated it? Quit? Succeeded?

Tactical questions:
Is this something I can try for a bit and cancel if it doesn’t work, or am I committed for a certain amount of time / expense?
Is this the right place to try it in? Might it work better elsewhere?