Ending a relationship is never easy, especially if you must let go of someone you care about.

Perhaps you’ve outgrown your partner or the other way around, or you’ve fallen out of love.

Distrust, infidelity, differences in life goals, and poor communication are all valid reasons to move on.

Woman trying to decide whether she should stay in a relationship or leave

But even if you make the right choice, you may still haveregrets after a breakup.

Unfortunately, there’s no surefire way to tellwhen it’s time to end a long-term relationship.

Sometimes, it’s best to trust your gut and do whatever feels right.

But even so, you still need to think about your partner and how your actions will affect him.

Your partner, on the other hand, insists on having children and moving to the suburbs.

You love him and respect his choices, but you’re no longer on the same page.

In such cases, there’s no right or wrong answer and making a decision can be emotionally draining.

What’s a relationship decision tree and how does it help?

This visual tool will guide your decision-making while helping you organize your thoughts.

Decision trees are widely used in business, machine learning, marketing, finance, and other areas.

For example, entrepreneurs may use this tool to decide on a marketing strategy or assess growth opportunities.

Next, they’ll analyze this data and decide on the best course of action.

The diagram follows the natural flow of thought, making it easier to understand the consequences of your actions.

After that, write down a question related to that issue.

Let’s say you found out your partner cheated on you.

With that in mind, ask yourself, “Am I willing to accept his behavior?”

If your answer is Yes, then it makes sense to stay in the relationship.

Write down this question and the possible answers.

For example, your significant other may have cheated for reasons that had nothing to do with you.

Another possibility is that he did it because he was angry at you.

Next, list the possible outcomes for each option.

Continue to expand your tree until you gain more clarity.

When you’re done, take a step back and analyze each scenario, and listen to your gut.