Making the Decision

1. Avoid common traps. Your preferences and usual thinking patterns can sabotage your decision making at times. You may frame your decision, get the right information, and weigh the pros and cons and still not make the best decision. It is important that you are aware of your preferences and biases that can influence your decision making process.^[14]

·         Always view your problem from different perspectives instead of sticking with your initial solution. You can seek advice from people who think differently from you to get more insight.^[15]

·         Do not make a decision just because it is the most comfortable. Change is difficult, but sometimes trying something different or unusual is the best solution.

·         If you already have your mind made up, do not just seek information that supports what you want to do. Try to be objective and consider all sides of the issue.

·         Focus on the decision that is in front of you and your present situation. Remind yourself that the past is the past and do not base your decisions on previous mistakes or successes.^[16]

2. Create an action plan. Once you have decided what you are going to do, you should write out steps to actually implement it.^[17] Your action plan should include the your step-by-step approach, your timeline for implementing your solution, and how you will include any other people who may be impacted by your decision.

·         For example, if you have made the decision to go on a vacation, you need to make specific steps to make the vacation happen. Your steps may include budgeting and saving money for your trip, talking to anyone who would be going on the vacation with you, determining a date for the vacation, figuring out transportation and hotel details, and a timeline for when each of these items needs to be completed.

3. Commit to your decision. Don’t drag your feet, look back, or wonder. Choice becomes a decision when implementation takes place. Focus your time, energy, self, and purpose on the decision. If you can’t do this and you are still thinking about alternatives, then your decision will be not be good because you’re not able to let go of those other options. It is very important to follow through with your decision.

·         Trying to make the decision is one of the hardest parts. You can get so caught up in making the right choice that you never take any action. If you do not follow through on a decision, you may miss out on some of the rewards and benefits.^[18] If you were debating about applying for a new job and never took action to actually fill out the application, someone else would get the job. You missed the opportunity to even be considered.

4. Evaluate your decision. Part of making better decisions is to assess the decision that you made. Many people forget to reflect on the decisions they have made. Evaluation will help you see the things that went well and the things that did not. This process can also help inform any decisions you make in the future.^[19]

·         Questions you make ask yourself include: Were you happy with the outcome? What could you have done better? Is there anything you would have done differently? What did I learn from this?

5. Have a backup plan. No one makes the right decisions all of the time. Do not be too hard on yourself. Sometimes, we are forced to make decisions without adequate time or information to make a decision. Even if a decision did not turn out like you wanted it to, you can use the experience to make a different choice.^[20]

·         You probably considered multiple options when you made your decision. You can go back and try some of the other things that you considered. You can also start the process over again.

Tips

·         Always think before you speak/do something.

·         Make sure what you are doing will help others, or at least not harm them.

·         Above all, present your decision confidently in the spirit of “let’s try this,” but be ready to change any decision to cut your losses. For most of the decisions you make, you won’t be able to get all the facts, so trust your intuition. Your intuition is the result of accessing the vast reservoir of knowledge and experience that is stored in your subconscious mind.

·         Decision-making, however well it is practiced, doesn’t guarantee infallibility. But if it is executed professionally, it can tip the odds in favor of making a good decision.

·         Don’t, however, go strictly on your intuition on a big decision where the knowledge of an expert like an accountant or a lawyer can be helpful. A quick call can often minimize your risk.

·         This process can be time-consuming and exhausting, especially when it is applied to a complex problem. It demands a wide range of thinking techniques and skills. But it is all a process, and only by following this process will you give yourself the ability to think more wisely about the future.

·         Do not do something that will help you but hurt others.

·         The best decisions are possible only when you know what you feel. You will feel a sense that the process of coming to a real decision has been healthy, satisfying, and creative. Having successful experiences with the decision process is the best way to become a successful decision-maker. And, if you look back through your life, you will often find that you’ve broken through some of the blocks that have troubled you in the past, without even knowing it.