Throughout life, you make many decisions. The decisions you make vary, from the most trivial to the most crucial. Your decisions determine who you will be in the future. Making decisions at a crucial stage can affect your future. If you've done something you'll regret later, you can learn how to make better decisions.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Formulate the Decision
Step 1. Summarize the problem
Before you can make a good decision, you must clearly summarize the problem. It will help you to focus on the decisions you are about to make and not get distracted by unrelated things. You might find it helpful to write a sentence or two like, "The decision I have to make is…"
You have to ask yourself to find out why you made a decision. What's the motivation? It will make you better understand the action you are about to take. Maybe you have decided to buy a new car. Did you buy a car because you needed a new car? Do you want a new car because your friend bought a new car? Understanding motivation can help avoid bad decisions
Step 2. Face your emotions
Your emotions have an impact on the decisions you make. That's not a bad thing. The key is being able to identify and control your emotions. Good decision making is the result of a combination of emotion and logic. You should only involve emotions that are directly related to the decision you are about to make.
If you receive bad news before leaving for work or school, those negative emotions will influence the decisions you will make that day. Once you've noticed it, you can take some time to calm down and remind yourself that you need to focus on the task at hand
Step 3. Don't consider too much information
You've probably heard people talk about making thoughtful decisions. While gathering information to base your decision-making on is important, sometimes considering too much information is bad. We usually make decisions based on the most recent information we have.
- You should prioritize the information that is most important and most relevant to your decision making. You may be able to make a list in mind or a written list of the information you really need.
- If you've been considering a decision for a long time, take some time to clear your head. You can go for a walk or read a book for 15 minutes.
Step 4. Consider the various options available
Make a list of all the available options, no matter how odd the choices may be. Your subconscious plays an important role in decision making. Researchers have found that most of our decisions are made by the subconscious. These decisions are often the right ones, based on the available information.
- Practice self-awareness as part of making decisions. You must remove all distractions and take time to meditate to consider the decision you are about to make. Take a deep breath and think about your decision, the various possible solutions, and the pros and cons of each option. Meditation for 15 alone has shown an improvement in decision making.
- Your meditation should focus on the present. If your mind starts to lose focus, focus your mind back on the decision you are about to make.
- Controlling your emotions and equipping yourself with the important information you need will allow your subconscious to think and make better decisions.
Step 5. Remove yourself from the decision
Making decisions is difficult if you are fully involved in the situation. Pretend that the decision you have to make is your friend's, and he asks for your help in making that decision. We usually give a friend different advice than we do ourselves. This will help you see the decision from different perspectives.
- If someone makes a decision regarding your relationship with your boyfriend, pretend it's your friend's relationship. Now you can consider the relationship from the perspective of the two people in the relationship. Then you can think of different ways your friend could solve some of the problems in the relationship and the different possible outcomes.
- Using an outsider's point of view will also help control your emotions.
Step 6. Consider the risks and benefits
You must consider the positive and negative impacts that may occur as a result of the decisions you make. You should also think about the people who might feel the impact of your decision. Remember that there will always be pros and cons to every decision. You have to make decisions where the positives outweigh the negatives. No decision is perfect.
- If you are planning to buy a new car, some of the advantages are that you get a good warranty, the latest technology, better gas mileage. Some of the disadvantages are the higher purchase costs and the increased cost of car insurance. You will consider the various factors above along with your current financial condition and transportation condition.
- You have to think about the best and worst outcomes of your decisions. You should also consider what might happen if you don't make a decision at all (which is actually a decision too).
Part 2 of 2: Making a Decision
Step 1. Avoid common pitfalls
Your usual preferences and thinking patterns can sometimes sabotage your decision making. You may have formulated a decision, obtained the right information, and weighed the pros and cons, but still didn't make the best decision. You should be aware that you have preferences and biases that can influence your decision-making process.
- Always look at your problem from a different perspective, instead of sticking with the initial solution. You can get advice from people who think differently from yours for more insight.
- Don't make a decision just because it's the most comfortable. Change is difficult, but sometimes trying something different or unusual is the best solution.
- Once you've made up your mind, don't look for information that supports what you want to do. Try to think objectively and consider all sides of the problem.
- Focus on the decisions in front of you and in the present. Remind yourself that the past is past and don't base your decisions on past mistakes or successes.
Step 2. Make a plan
Once you've decided what you're going to do, you'll need to write down the steps you'll take to make it happen. Your plan should include a step-by-step approach, a timeline for implementing the solution, and how to include others who may be impacted by your decision.
For example, if you've decided to go on vacation, you'll need to take specific steps to make that vacation happen. These steps might include allocating funds and saving for the trip, bringing people who want to vacation with you, setting vacation dates, finding hotels and vehicles, and a timeline for getting these things done
Step 3. Commit to your decision
Don't be lazy, look back, or speculate. Choices become decisions when they are implemented. Focus your time, energy, self, and goals on the decision. If you can't do that and are still thinking about other alternatives, your decision won't be good because you can't let go of the other options. You have to follow through on your decision.
Trying to make a decision is one of the toughest parts. You can get so caught up in trying to make the right decisions that you don't take any action. If you don't follow through on the decision, you could miss the advantages or benefits of the decision. If you're undecided about applying for a new job and never take the first step of filling out an application form, someone else will get the job. You missed the opportunity
Step 4. Review your decision
Part of making better decisions is assessing the decisions you have made. Many people forget to reflect on the decisions they have made. Reviewing will help you see what's going your way and what's not. The process can also help decision-making at a later date.
Some questions you can ask yourself include: Are you happy with the results? What can you improve? Is there anything you want to change? What did you learn from here?
Step 5. Create a backup plan
No one always makes the right decisions. Don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes, we are forced to make decisions without sufficient time or information. Even if the outcome of the decision is not to your liking, you can use the experience to make a different choice.
You may consider various options when making a decision. You can look back and try some of the things you considered at the start. You can also repeat the process from the beginning again
Tips
- Always think carefully before doing or saying something.
- Make sure your actions help others, or at the very least, don't hurt others.
- Above all, present your decisions with confidence and an open mind, but be prepared to change decisions to reduce risk. For some of the decisions you make, you won't be able to get the whole picture, so trust your intuition. Your intuition is the result of accessing the knowledge and experiences stored in your subconscious.
- Even though you've been trained, it doesn't mean your decision-making process will immediately lead to perfect decisions. However, if you go through the process in a professional manner, the decision-making process will lead you to good decisions.
- However, don't rely solely on intuition for big decisions, especially when the knowledge of an expert such as an accountant or lawyer can help. Asking the experts for help can minimize the risk.
- This process may be time-consuming and tedious, especially if the decisions involve complex issues. It requires a variety of techniques and thinking skills. However, it is all part of the process, and you will become wiser later on by following the process.
- Don't do something that can help you but hurt someone else.
- The best decisions are possible only if you understand your own feelings. You will find the decision-making process healthy, satisfying, and creative. A successful decision making process is the best way to become a good decision maker. Then, if you look back in time, you'll find yourself getting rid of the problems that plagued you in the past, without even realizing it.
