I stopped asking myself which decision was 'right.' Now I ask which one I'll regret least.

Parul Somani had a NICU baby and was diagnosed with cancer.

Courtesy of Parul Somani Parul Somani had always approached major decisions by gathering data and finding answers.

Somani discovered during cancer treatment that some choices have no guaranteed outcome.

She developed a framework focused on making decisions she can stand behind afterward.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Parul Somani , a working mother and the author of The Path of Least Regret.

It has been edited for length and clarity.

After giving birth to my second child in 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer .

I was 31.

That changed my life, including how I make decisions.

I was always a high achiever I was raised in an immigrant family and saw the work ethic my parents demonstrated.

They always valued education, and while there was never pressure from them, it was something that I absorbed: work hard, because nothing is going to be handed to you.

I always had a clear plan in place, and a precision of how my life was going to play out.

I rose through the ranks in consulting and tech, even after having my first daughter in 2011.

I was diagnosed with cancer My daughter had to be intubated and ambulance-transported to a different hospital for an acute NICU stay .