How Can You Make Better Decisions?

Every day of your life involves a complex series of choices. Some are more meaningful than others, but the way that you make decisions can have a determinative impact on the course of a day and the general direction of your life’s journey. Equipping yourself to be an informed and logical decision maker can help you make the most of every day and stay on track towards achieving your goals.

Refine Your Skill Set

Making good decisions isn’t the product of happenstance. Decision-making isn’t about luck. Skill is a key factor. Decisions that work out well for you are typically resultant of exercising a vital skill set. When you’re able to adapt your abilities and apply your skills consistently, you can have greater confidence in all of your choices. In effect, good decision-making can become habitual.

To enhance your natural aptitude, consider a decision making course. It can teach you some fundamental tenets about how to evaluate circumstances, consider others’ perspectives, and advance your interests.

Get Feedback

A sounding board is a good way to get an objective perspective about a decision that you’re not feeling confident about. Talk to someone who you consider to be an excellent problem solver or analytical thinker. Don’t let somebody else’s opinion wholly supplant your own, but be receptive to alternative ideas and input.

Look at an Issue as Your Future Self

When you’re considering both simple and complex options, you should try to look at them from the perspective of yourself in the future. Consider what future you will think about choices involving how you spend your time or the sacrifices that you may have to make now to realize a desirable outcome in the future.

Don’t Rush

Hurrying into a decision could deprive you of the opportunity to conduct yourself strategically. This is particularly when raw reactive inertia fueled by an emotional response to a situation is propelling your decision-making process. Let your emotions settle down before you take a big step. As a general rule, it’s a good rule of thumb to wait about twenty-four hours to commit yourself to a course of action on something that you’re amped up about.

Lastly, when you’re making decisions, it’s ok to trust your instincts. If you have a gut feeling about something, there’s probably a reason even if it isn’t obvious to you. At the same time, it is advisable to consider all of your options in addition to relevant pros and cons about any choice in your life.