Exit Strategy

Often referred to as the, damned if you do…damned if you don’t scenario there are situations where there does not appear to be a smooth exit strategy.  You know the ones where we have to make a choice and the results of the choice still stink or so we think.  My view on the damned if you do and damned if you don’t is that we have been conditioned to think there is only “one choice” when there can be many.  Think of it like one of those signs on the interstate that say, “next four exits for insert town.”  One exit might be more scenic, one might be primarily a food stop, one might take me direct to my destination, or one might be a fuel stop.  No matter which one you take, you will ultimately end up in the city. 

Yes, there are times I have to make less than favorable choices, but how I react to those choices is totally up to me.  If I perceive there is no upside to the choice then there won’t be.  If I choose to think there is a takeaway from the choice then there will be.  It’s a matter of perspective.  For the longest time, I was a black/white or binary thinker where I believed all situations to be “either/or…1 or 0”.  As I’ve expanded my vision and learned to see things from many angles, I’ve learned most situations offer more than one option, and that typically is the first thing I think, “What are my options, choices, or exit strategy?”  The next time you are in a situation where you believe there to be only one choice, ask yourself a simple question, “What are my options?”  You may find the decision making process a little easier when you see there can be multiple exit strategies.