Get On or Get Back?

Octavian and I know a good mechanic who worked in a repair station ten minutes drive from home. We used to take our motorcycle there for regular service and tune-up. But three days ago we went there and found out he had quit his job and opened a fashion outlet with his wife nearby the market. Although we are rather disappointed at losing one of the best mechanics we know, both of us are more concerned with whether or not he had made the right decision.
Everybody wants to get on with life, so they calculate the risks and benefits in scheming for a future plan before coming up with a decision. The aim is clear: to move forward, rather than to walk around in circles or even fall backward.
Nevertheless, the question remains: how can we tell for sure that what we’re doing is pushing us forward? What if the steps that we think as “forward” is actually taking us “backward” without our being aware of it? I might be sounding skeptical or even pessimistic, but things often don’t seem like what they really are.
The point is: let’s make sure we really know what we’re doing before opting for a change and jumping out of our safety zone.