How to Make Better Decisions

 

Along the road of life, you make many decisions. The decisions you have made will range from the trivial to crucial. What you decide can determine the kind of person you become later. Making decisions at crucial stages can even affect your future. If you have ever done something only to regret it, you can learn how to make better decisions.

Framing the Decision

Outline the issue. Before you can make a good decision, you need to clearly outline the issues. This will help you focus on the decision you are making and not be distracted by unrelated things. It may help if you write down a simple sentence or two that says “The decision I need to make is…”

·         You should also ask yourself why you feel the need to make this decision. What is your motivation? This will help you understand the actions that you are about to take. Perhaps you have decided to purchase a new car. Are you purchasing the car because you need a new car? Do you want a new car because one of your friends got a new car? Understanding your motivation can help you avoid making bad decisions.

Deal with your emotions. Your emotions do have an impact on the decisions you make. This is not a bad thing. The key is to be able to identify and control your emotions. Good decision making is a combination of using your emotions and being rational. You should only include emotions that are directly related to the decision you are making.

·         If you received some bad news right before you go to work or school, those negative emotions will influence some of the decisions that you make. If you are aware of this, you can take a second to calm yourself down and remind yourself that you need to focus on the task at hand.

Do not overload on information. You may hear people talk about making informed decisions. While it is important to have information upon which to base your decision, too much information can be bad thing. We usually make decisions based on the most recent information that we have taken in.

·         You should prioritize the information that is most important and relevant to making your decision. You may want to make a mental or actual list of only the information you need.

·         If you have been thinking about your decision for a long time, take a break to clear your mind. You could go for a walk or read a book for 15 minutes.

Consider multiple options. Make a list of all your options, no matter how ridiculous you feel they are. Your unconscious mind plays a major role in your decision making. Scientists have found that most of the decisions we make are based on our unconscious mind. These decisions often turn out to be the right decisions, based on the information available.

·         Practice mindfulness as part of your decision making. You should set aside any distractions and take time to meditate on the decision at hand. Take a deep breath and think about your decision, different solutions, and the pros and cons of each option. Just 15 minutes of meditation has been shown to improve decision making.

·         Your meditation should be focused on the present moment. If your mind begins to wander, redirect your thoughts back to the decision you need to make.

·         Keeping your emotions in check and arming yourself with the necessary information you need will allow your unconscious thinking to make better decisions.

Remove yourself from the decision. It is difficult to make a decision when you are involved in the situation. Pretend that it is your friend’s decision, and they have come to you for advice. We often give different advice to our friends than we give ourselves. This will help you see your decision from multiple perspectives.

·         If you are making a decision about whether or not to stay in a relationship, pretend that your friend is in the relationship and not you. You would then consider the relationship from the perspective of both people involved in the relationship. You then may think about ways your friend could solve some of the problems in the relationship and what the different outcomes could be.

·         Using an outside perspective will also help you keep your emotions in check.

Consider the risks and rewards. You should make a list of the positive things and negative things that may occur as a result of your decision. You should also think about who else may be affected by the decision you make. Remember there are pros and cons to every decision. You should make a decision where the good things outweigh the bad things. No decision you make will be perfect.

·         If you are planning to buy a new car, some of the pros would be having a good warranty, the latest technology, or better gas mileage. Some of the cons may be a higher car payment and increased car insurance. You would consider these factors along with your financial situation and your current transportation situation.

·         You should think about the best things and worst things that can happen as a result of your decision. You should also consider what will happen if you do not make a decision at all (which is actually a decision in itself).