Do you often find yourself trying to avoid decision making or making bad decisions? If you are like most people, you probably make hundreds and thousands of decisions every day.
We don’t always make the right decision. We make bad decisions, and we often think too long or don’t think enough before making a decision. Making the right decision at the right time is one of the most powerful leadership qualities that we can easily practice and learn.
Have you ever done something and later thought to yourself, “that was dumb?” We all make dumb mistakes, but don’t be afraid to make them. We learn to make right decisions through practice and improving our judgment.
Our lives are vastly influenced by the choices we make, and we make them constantly. Sometimes we make bad choices where our decision results in making sacrifices or paying a high price for it. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could make the right choice every time?
We are all human and make mistakes although some of us make more mistakes than others. While we make decisions on a regular basis, sometimes we don’t really think through a lot of decisions before we make them. However, how you live today – your surroundings, your fortunes, your worries, your current job, the car that you are driving, and everything else – are all results or consequences of the decisions you make in your life.
Here are a few of the labels you may go by:
- Over-thinker
- Procrastinator
- Slow to act
- Analysis paralysis
- Perfectionist
(Source: 5 Tips for Lightning-Fast Decision Making)
How do you make a smart delicious fast? No matter what your intelligence level is, you could always improve yourself and make better and faster decisions in life.
Top 5 Tips for making better decisions faster
Every aspect of our life- career, relationship, assets, health, wealth and future – are all defined by our ability to make decisions. Making the right decision is a leadership quality that can be easily learned and improved upon. Below are the top five tips for making better decisions.
1. Don’t worry if your decisions are not perfect
Your decisions don’t always have to be perfect decisions. Don’t be afraid to make quick decisions, even though they might not be perfect. Not trying at all could be worse than making a bad decision.
We often avoid making a decision or wait too long to make the perfect decision and we miss out on an opportunity completely. Many great leaders would prefer a project 80% done today, than wait for it to become 100% perfect tomorrow. Don’t wait for the impossible to happen. Great leaders don’t wait to have all the pieces of a puzzle together before they take off. Instead, they jump without all the answers and know that they will find all the solutions as they progress along the way.
2. Set a target time
If you are a slow decision maker, this tip could be a life saver for you. Set a target time for each decision you make and think your decision through. The time limit could be anything from 1-5 minutes. When you reach your time limit, make a decision. This works great for simple decisions in life, such as what should you have for lunch, whether to buy a red dress or pink dress, and so on. Setting a time limit will force you to think through the pros and cons before you come to your decision.
3. Don’t over think
While it is important that you gather enough information to make an educated decision, you should not spend too much time or energy trying to gather additional information. Wise decisions often come from a set of rules or criteria that you have already set for yourself. Decide that once you find something that meets all your preset criteria, go for it. People, who are perfectionists waste a lot of time looking for more options, even after finding the right choice with the right qualities; they keep looking for perfection. While thinking things through is important, more information doesn’t always lead to a better decision.
Barry Schwartz, the author of a fascinating book The Paradox of Choice argued that “Maximizers (perfectionists) must spend a lot more time and energy to reach a decision, and they’re often anxious about whether they are, in fact, making the best choice.” – Don’t Overthink It: 5 Tips for Daily Decision-Making – 99U
4. Trust your experience and Implement your decision
Your experience has a huge influence on your decision making process. Trust your instinct when you come to a point in life where you need to make a quick decision; trust your gut feelings. Your intuition and subconscious mind are developed through years of experience. It can guide you through your decision making processes especially when you have nothing else to go on.
5. Stop and think
Yes, think again. Ok, sometimes you need to stop and think with regards to deeper issues. So, if you feel the decision you are about to make may have a deeper influence on your life, stop. You might need to seek counsel or expert advice. Good leaders seek counsel from others, but the final decision is always yours.
Decisions are very important but they should not slow your life down. We need to balance out our decision making process with a bit of rashness. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and most importantly, control your emotions. You will always learn to make better decisions through more practice and with more experience.
Thanks for reading our blog. For more life advice, contact our expert team at the Balanced Life Team. We would also appreciate your comments, so please leave a comment in the comment box below or visit our Facebook page.
Source: Balanced Life Team
