For many of us, there comes a point in our lives when we think about starting over.

It might be with our career, or perhaps with a relationship, or “simply” moving house.  (Though nothing is ever really simple about moving house – trust me!)

Starting over seems to me to involve a lot of thought, soul-searching, reflection, preparation and decision-making.

At times, the process may be very long and drawn-out.  At other times, the decisions are made easily and everything falls into place as if by magic.

If you are working as a therapist in any area, you will undoubtedly see clients who are themselves in the process of starting over.

And at least some of you reading this Blog, will, I imagine, be considering a career change for yourself.

So what is it, that brings us to that point?  And what enables us to get through to the next stage?

If you, like me, have been caught up over this past year in the very significant move of a family member to a completely new life, you may find yourself starting to reflect on where you are right now, and what it is you really want.

But none of us is an isolated being, so any decision we make impacts others one way or another.

Sometimes when we see someone we know making a huge decision for change, it can inspire us to action.  Sometimes, we look on in incredulity and judge their foolishness in our eyes.

But whatever we are doing, whatever we are facing, making the decision is about information, preparation and determination.

It's also about taking a risk.

And assessing that risk for ourselves.

A simple, but effective tool in making a decision  is a cost-benefit analysis which enables us to focus on the advantages and disadvantages of a belief or significant change – but remember even having the same number of points on both sides does not mean an equal weighting!

If you, like me, are currently in that process, take a moment to reflect on the systems that support you through those decisions.  And on how you might support a client in doing the same for themselves.

I wish you success in your decisions, and enjoyment in both the process and the outcome.