Mastering the Art of Decision Making: Transform Your Life One Choice at a Time
The Power of Decision Making
Decisions. We manage them every day, all day; from the mundane to the life-changing. The decisions we make shape our lives and can have a profound impact on those around us. But how often do we stop to consider the art and science behind these choices? Understanding the power of decision-making can transform our lives, leading to better outcomes and a more fulfilling journey.
The pattern of choices we make over time, both big and small, can drastically change our lives for better or worse. The outcome of our decisions centers mostly on our ability to gather and process relevant information. Thankfully our brains are evolutionarily equipped with shortcuts to help us decide quickly and ultimately survive.
But unfortunately, these psychological predispositions make our brains lazy and thus don’t always serve us well. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of heuristics, bias, or gut feelings to test our thought patterns.
Sidebar: Heuristics are problem-solving strategies derived from previous experiences with similar problems. When an individual applies heuristics in practice, it can allow shortcuts to solutions but can create room for errors.
The quality of our decisions can immensely affect how our life turns out. Many of life’s tough decisions can involve a whirlwind of emotions. This anxiety is often brought on by uncertainty or feeling out of control leading to decision fatigue or worse indecision.
Indecision is the only bad decision.
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
– Theodore Roosevelt
Often we find ourselves somewhere between yes or no on the choices we have to make. There’s also so much pressure to make the “right” decision. No wonder tough decisions can be paralyzing. So much so that a difficult choice can drive us into indecision. Indecision that leads to an extended lack of action can be just as harmful as making poor choices.
Sometimes our indecision is caused by too many options, which sends us into a spiral of overthinking. Ultimately overthinking then leads to inaction. Again, it’s understandable; more options usually mean more uncertainty, but overthinking is an unhelpful habit—overthinking results in wallowing in what-ifs and worst-case scenarios.
Other times indecision can be because we don’t know what we want or lack self-awareness.
You must be decisive to be an effective leader of your life, household, and team. Decisiveness grows with each decision. Indecision kills.
Whether we realize it or not, indecision is a decision. It’s a choice to remain the same. As a result, indecision causes us to put our lives on hold. To overcome indecision, we must forget about being perfect because perfectionism turns into procrastination. We must be willing to make the wrong decision and ok with pivoting rather than not deciding at all. In this case, at least you will have more information. If we already have all the data we need to make an informed decision, it’s time to move on.
Yes, we need to weigh the pros and cons and all options, but when we repeatedly mull over a decision, we begin to overthink. This can lead us to self-doubt. Unfortunately, overthinking can also lead to stress, and stress can lead to poor decision-making.
Better decisions lead to fewer regrets.
Additionally, making better decisions allows us to learn from our experiences, find an enhanced sense of self, improve our confidence, and stand out from others in the workplace.
How to make better decisions in life and work:
Understand that harmful emotions can threaten good decisions. As humans, we’re often influenced and even deeply affected by irrational thoughts, unconscious emotions, and feelings. This is why most people make decisions based on short-term emotions, leading to poor, hasty decisions that only temporarily feel good. Simply being aware of our feelings and why we are feeling a certain way can help us make conscious decisions.
Clarify the decision that you are attempting to make. Appropriately framing your decision problem from the beginning of the process can make or break your decision-making process. Clarifying the decision involves clearly identifying what decision is being made and for what reason. To do so, define the specific decision question or problem that needs to be addressed.
You might also acknowledge the relationship to previous decisions or those approaching in the near future. Go further by applying measures or standards to our decision-making process to ensure you’re more likely to choose well. Decision criteria can create a clear decision-making structure and improve the efficiency and rationality in making your selection. Decision metrics can also help you evaluate your decision by making them measurable. Examples of decision criteria include costs, implementation ease, risk level, and flexibility.
Get clear on your end goal. Knowing your purpose allows the optimal options to be more obvious. Determine your priorities, identify your values, and stay focused on your end goal. One way to help you figure out your end goals is by asking yourself a few questions:
What is most important to me? What do you want to accomplish with this decision?
What does success look like?
What is driving this choice? Is it fear, pride, or genuine enthusiasm for where this choice will lead me?
How will this choice impact my relationships? Is there a need to please others more than myself?
What are you giving up?
Remember: Goals change. That’s ok, but be sure your decisions do too.
Learn before you decide. Quality decisions are a result of adequate knowledge of the various aspects of your choices. However, often overconfidence or assuming we know more than we actually do can get in the way of effective decision-making. Be mindful of using bias to make quick decisions. Instead, anticipate a surprise and prepare to be wrong. Perhaps try “reality-testing” the options before committing if this is possible.
Identify the alternatives and associated risks to each choice. Get imaginative; the best decisions aren’t always the most obvious ones. Consider all the possibilities to widen your options. This will require you to be open-minded. Remember to challenge the constraints of each option. As with goal-oriented tasks, break your decisions down into more minor decisions or related actionable steps. Doing so will help you avoid being overwhelmed by your choices and limit decision fatigue. Evaluate trade-offs by making a list of the pros and cons of each decision. Finally, understand the consequences of each option of your decision. Another perspective is to eliminate trade-offs. According to Chip & Dan Heath, authors of Decisive, one of the key “villains” to decision-making is our instinct to assume we need to choose: Option A or Option B. Conversely, Chip & Dan emphasize starting with a focus on “AND” rather than “or.” I.e. is there a possibility to have both Option A and Option B?
Check for missing information and eliminate whatever is irrelevant. Consider the unknown unknowns by asking what information is missing. Always seek to close any knowledge gaps when possible. To avoid decision fatigue, don’t get caught up in unimportant details, and focus on the critical factors in making an informed decision. Eliminate unnecessary information that can cloud your judgement.
Step away from the decision. Create distance between you and the decision by taking on an observer’s perspective by viewing the situation from the outside looking in. Consider what advice you would give a friend if they were in a similar position. Using this method can also help you remove any unnecessary emotions involved. In addition, give yourself time to make the best decision for yourself if possible because time pressure can distract you from considering all of the alternatives clearly. You can’t make good decisions if you aren’t able to reflect on them. Conversely, also consider giving yourself a decision deadline if you don’t already have one. A deadline will allow you to avoid indecision and keep you action-oriented.
Consider the short and long-term consequences of your decision. To decide well, “you need to weigh first-order consequences against second- and third-order consequences, and base your decisions not just on near-term results but on results over time.[1]” For example, ask yourself, how will I feel about this choice in six months, one year, and ten years from now? Making decisions that only consider the short-term can signify immaturity. If the long-term benefits are better than the short term discomfort, you’re likely making the best decision. Consider how your choices will affect other important people in your life over the long-term. And ask what are the opportunities and risks. How would you feel if it didn’t work out as expected? [1] Ray Dalio, Principles (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2017), 236.
Seek feedback. When making a decision that will impact you in the long term, consider consulting with someone who is trustworthy and has been in a similar situation before. However, remember that most decisions are unique to you when you get into the details. Therefore, it’s also helpful to ask the people who the decision will impact. Test your assumptions by considering the opinion of someone who made the opposite of your decision or play “devil’s advocate.” Considering an alternative option will also help you open your mind to constructive disagreement and further broaden your knowledge base around the subject. Note: Be careful not to involve too many people at one given time in your decision-making. Too many people can create an effect known as groupthink. According to Psychology Today, “groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a group of well-intentioned people makes irrational or non-optimal decisions spurred by the urge to conform or the belief that dissent is impossible. The problematic or premature consensus that is characteristic of groupthink may be fueled by a particular agenda—or it may be due to group members valuing harmony and coherence above critical thought.”
Remember, the right decision often doesn’t always feel good. Most mature decisions require delayed gratification, meaning we don’t get what we want until later. Often this leaves a feeling of longing in the short term. Remind yourself that this feeling is temporary and that waiting will pay off at the right time. And know that increasing your tolerance for delaying gratification is a sign of growth. Sometimes you don’t have complete control over the outcome. As hard as it is, you must get comfortable with uncertainty and equip yourself with as much information as possible to settle your anxiety around making a “bad” decision. Remember that you can also pivot once you have more information. Lastly, implement your final choice, monitor the outcome closely, and adjust when needed. Changing your plan is not a failure, but staying in the same place is.
It’s not about making the “right” decision but rather making the best of the direction you’ve chosen.
Quick Tips on how to decide faster:
Limit your options
Quantify decision criteria by making the decision measurable
Try looking at decisions through a binary lens. As the author of Essentialism, Greg McKeown, suggests: “If it isn’t a ‘Hell-Yes,’ it’s a no!”
Think of your time as money
CONCLUSION
The best decisions originate from experience, and experience comes from poor choices, so don’t get stuck in indecision or overthinking. Moving forward is a win-win.
Developing effective decision-making abilities is much needed in life, given the number of choices we are faced with each day. But unfortunately, hard decisions are usually a result of too many options in combination with uncontrollable uncertainty. That’s why it is essential to be aware of the paradox of choice and stay focused on what you can control.
Learning from our mistakes by making better decisions is a critical part of personal development. Improved decisions lead to fewer regrets; better results lead to optimal productivity levels and life-balance.
An effective decision-making process will guide us in making better-informed decisions when we arrive at a challenging fork in the road of life. Furthermore, when we improve our decision-making, we learn to trust ourselves, which builds confidence and helps us to take ownership of our reality.
