Making good decisions can be a daunting task. Well, there are specific steps you can take to ensure you make the right judgment.
In this article, we will take a look at what rules you can follow to be sure you are making good decisions.
1. Be In Your Best Place
When you are making a decision, you need to first ensure that you are in the right frame of mind. It means that you shouldn’t do it when something is affecting you.
Of course, there will be times when you need to make a decision right away despite your situation, but if you can wait until you are in a stable frame of mind to make your choice, you should do it.
It means that in order to master the art of making good decisions, you should not be distracted in any way and focus on the process. For instance, if you are exhausted, this isn’t the right time for decision making.
2. Don’t Rush It
There is more than just the reason for waiting until your head is clear to make a decision. You also shouldn’t rush.
If you want to be sure you are making good decisions, you should take the time to think it through entirely. Weigh the pros and cons of your decision before you finalize it.
Rushing it will only rob you of your chance to think it through and consider the gravity of the results.
3. Consider Past Decisions
You can learn a lot from your past. As such, you shouldn’t forget it when you are making a decision that will affect your future.
Every time you reach an outcome, there is a lesson to be learned from it. When you come across one of these lessons, you can choose one of two options.
The most comfortable option is usually to make the decision, live with the consequences, and forget anything you learned from the process. Unfortunately, this means that if you made any mistakes in that decision, you would repeat them in the future.
Instead, think back on the choices you’ve made in the past, what you learned from this, and how you can use that lesson in this new decision.
4. Try to Rule Out Negative Feelings
Decisions, in their nature, can bring change. Unfortunately, this is one thing that is feared the most. It can mean you are inhibited for the judgments that you make.
Maybe changing your career or buying that new house in a different town is just too scary to contemplate seriously.
Making good decisions means being able to block out negative emotions such as fear. They can only hold you back. After all, if you let your fear control you, you may never try anything new or step outside of your comfort zone.
It isn’t to say don’t weigh the cons of your decisions. It only means that you should allow yourself to experience new things and not let fear hold you back.
5. Don’t Ignore Red Flags
Some decisions are complicated by nature. For instance, buying your first house might come with some substantial hurdles. Issues with the paperwork, for example, might come up.
The truth is that any big decision comes with the chance that something will go wrong – you can’t let this discourage you.
On the other hand, sometimes there are red flags about the choice that you’re making. If you see too many things falling apart on the decision – for example, something suspicious coming up in the contract for that new house – you might want to rethink it.
6. Get as Much Info as You Can
During the decision-making process, you should ensure that you are informed about the situation. You don’t ever want to go into a choice blind.
So, to be as educated as possible, you should gather as much information as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be sure to do your research before you finally decide anything.
7. Consider Risk and Reward
Throughout this article, we have mentioned weighing the pros and cons more than once. It means you should look at the good that a final decision will bring and the negatives that come with it.
You should also consider the risks and rewards. Just think about what you will risk by making the decision and what you stand to gain. The right choice will present itself by giving you a reward that outweighs the risk.
8. Write Things Down
You should also write down your thoughts. When you have a big decision, it can be challenging to organize your thinking, so your best bet is to write your feelings out.
Make charts, lists, journal entries, whatever you need to coordinate the decision-making process for you.
9. Follow Your Gut
It might seem like you are following your fears, but you should listen to your instincts. If you have a gut feeling that you should or shouldn’t do something, those instincts are usually worth listening to.
Don’t just follow it on a whim but at least consider the weight of the feeling you get. Try to investigate why you have such strong feelings about the decision.
10. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Finally, don’t feel like you have to do everything on your own. When you get into a position where you need to make a decision, the truth is you’re going to be the one who has to take the responsibility for it. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help.
It is shockingly easy to get caught in your head or feel overwhelmed with your options. As such, it can be hard to look at things from a neutral angle. So, sometimes in order to ensure you are making good decisions, you should ask for advice from others.
A third-party point-of-view can often make the difference between a well-thought-out decision and an impulsive one.
