When we’re just starting out in our careers and are presented with difficult choices regarding which job is right for us, or more broadly, which career path is right for us, how do we empower ourselves to make choices with more confidence?

• Researchers have uncovered a number of ways that people cope with hard decisions.
• Many of them are geared at alleviating our anticipated regret or future sense of personal responsibility for making the “wrong” choice.
• You can try to mitigate the sometimes misguided coping mechanisms you might be adopting by getting clear about your own preferences.
• You can do this by consulting third-party experts on the subject, talking to a trusted family member or colleague who watch you in action, or just spending time with your own pros and cons list.