We all make decisions—it’s a part of life. Some are relatively simple decisions, others not so much… some could keep you awake at night questioning all your life choices and wondering where everything went wrong because quite frankly, we take a wrong turn every now and then.
So today, why not learn a little something on how to make better decisions without the late-night overthinking or second-guessing yourself?
(1). Start by Defining What You Really Want: It’s hard to make a decision when you don’t even know what your end goal is. As my brother likes to say, “Start with the destination, then figure out a way to it.” indeed, if you ask yourself what you are trying to achieve, it’s easier to take the path that leads to that outcome.
And it works from huge decisions to what to order at a restaurant. Am I prioritizing something sweet? Am I expecting to eat later and thus looking for something light? Or am I starving and thus requiring something that will sit? Knowing the end goal narrows down your options.
(2). Do Your Research, But Don’t Get Stuck: True, information is power, and true, making informed decisions is the way to go. But when you spend so much time “gathering information” you end up failing to make the decision altogether. At some point, it’s more productive to trust what you already know than endlessly Googling for answers.
And trust me, many times we find ourselves failing to decide on something in the guise of I don’t know enough about it, often coming out as indecisive. Way around? Set a deadline for your research. “Let me think about it, I will have an answer by Monday!”
(3). Have a Long-Term Perspective: Will this choice matter in 5 years? If you are an overthinker like myself, chances are you often spend time worrying and thinking of stuff that turns out to be very simple matters. Decisions are like that sometimes, most of the things we stress about won’t be relevant a few months down the road…so save your energy for decisions with long-term impact.
(4). Trust Your Gut, But Don’t Ignore the Facts: Ever had that instinct on something? Sometimes your instincts know what to do before your brain figures it out, however, solely relying on feelings can be risky…very risky. Try to balance the options, just because it feels right or wrong doesn’t mean should just take it at face value, take some time to gather facts and make an informed choice.
(5). Embrace Failure as Part of The Process, because quite frankly we make mistakes, we make wrong decisions and that’s okay. Sure, sometimes the consequences are dire but then again it happens to the best of us. So, instead of drowning in guilt, regret and “what if I fail” thoughts, ask yourself “What can I learn from this?”
At the end of it all, the only way to achieve effective decision-making is by taking action. You’ll never have all the answers or anticipate all outcomes and that’s okay too. Define your goal, gather enough information, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to fail. After all, life is all about the decisions we make.
