Personal Dilemma

Exercise
Explore the current issues and challenges in your life. Are they true dilemmas or
simply problems with solutions? Understanding this can reveal paths to navigate
through your challenges.

by Hamada Ahmed
The Archetypal Dilemma
Personal Effectiveness Personal Satisfaction

Strive for increased effectiveness at work Seek fulfillment in personal life

Real-life Dilemma
Experience a personal dilemma shared by a Chinese-
American student torn between family obligations and
career aspirations in the US.
Tradeoffs in Life
1 Urgency

The pressure of immediate needs

2 Importance

The significance of long-term goals

3 Cost vs Benefit

Weighing the risks and rewards

Defining Personal Dilemmas
1 Step 1 2 Step 2 3 Step 3

Identify major challenges in Recognize the symptoms Create trial dilemmas to

your personal life and impact of the challenges explore tensions
Exploring Tensions
Trust vs Discipline

Balancing trust and discipline with kids

Ambitions vs Reality

Navigating between aspirations and practicality

Creating a Matrix
1 Draw a Matrix

Map out the conflicting forces

2 Name the Quadrants

Label each quadrant for better understanding

Understanding the Situation
Step 4
Naming the Quadrants
Quadrant 1 Quadrant 2

Quadrant 3 Quadrant 4
Personal Responsibility
Step 5