What If

January 21, 2024

What if you learned information that could lead to a negative outcome for you, someone you care about, or something that is your responsibility? What if there were variables to consider that made deciding how to proceed with this information anything but straightforward? 

Asking what-if questions becomes necessary when you have a variety of options to choose from. There may not be a definitive right or wrong answer, which can sometimes make the decision process emotionally taxing. 

What-if questions are common and easier to decide when the stakes are lower, like choosing what to eat for lunch or which outfit to wear to work. But when the stakes are higher, for example, when making financial decisions impacting your business's bottom line or family's livelihood, you may need more time to consider the variables that help you make informed and less anxiety-provoking decisions. 

Minimize the uncertainty of what-ifs through research and reflection. Speak with people who have been in similar situations. Consider what’s at stake and your capacity for managing any accompanying anxiety. Think about how you feel while faced with the what-if questions and how you anticipate feeling after they’re made. 

Three years ago, I faced the biggest what-if of my life when I learned I have the BRCA 2 genetic mutation, thereby increasing my risk for several cancers, including upwards of a 75% chance of getting Breast Cancer and a 40% chance of getting Ovarian Cancer.

The stakes were high, and I knew myself enough to know that the answer to my what-if questions was to be aggressive and minimize my risks. It's that thinking that led me to the operating room to undergo a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy, and hysterectomy. The long-term emotional comfort of having reduced my risk to 1% far outweighed the surgeries and recovery process.

What-if questions lack definitive outcomes, and how you answer them may differ from someone else – what's right for you may not be for others. Consider possible outcomes of each variable, evaluate the stakes and your emotional capacity to manage them, and know that this decision-making process can help you feel more confident about answering questions beginning with what if.