[Part 3 of a 3 part post. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here.]

It’s not as if you call a family meeting and start discussing if returning to India is right for you. These questions need to be part of ongoing conversations in your family, regardless of how far out the eventual decision might be. When the time to make the decision comes, you will know what you need to do.

And when do you know the time to decide has come? A prospective disruptive change in your life is a good trigger. Moving to India is a big disruption. Choosing between two disruptions will give you a better chance of making a balanced and objective decision, as opposed to choosing between a disruption (moving to India) and status quo (n+1). That said, you probably should set some deadline. For me, the deadline was the year beyond which I would have to consider my eldest kids’ opinion about the matter. Based on the experience of friends and relatives, I felt that the decision-making becomes significantly more complicated when you need to consider your kids’ opinions as well.

Start asking yourselves these questions today. Decide when you have the opportunity. And once you decide, stay committed to making your decision work.