You will make some bad decisions in life and that’s OK. You’ll trust untrustworthy people. You’ll take the wrong job. An investment of time and money will go south.
Will you follow up bad choices by learning and taking a better path?
In How to Make the Good Decisions (Part 1) I gave you 7 tools that have helped me. Here’s 7 more tools I find helpful.
7 More Decision Making Tools
Tool #8: Analyze Your Bad Decisions
Make a list of a few life choices you consider mistakes. Then list some reasons behind why you made these decisions. Was it made out of emotion? Were you deceived? Was it a vulnerable time in your life? Did you ignore your intuition? These choices may have much in common.
Tool #9: Set a Deadline
If there isn’t already a deadline, set one right away. Deadlines channel your creative problem solving abilities. They force productivity which eliminates indecision.
Tool #10: Err on the Side of Courage
Good decisions come from avoiding the easy. Take a risk. This might mean saying “no” or it might mean saying “yes”. Sometimes quitting is the most courageous decision. What’s the most courageous decision in your current situation?
“Decision is risk rooted in the courage to be free.” -Paul Tillich
Tool #11: List Out All The Facts
I find this tool crucial to sorting through the confusion. List out all the facts and details. Things are fuzzy in your head and much clearer on paper. List all the details and the right direction might become clear.
Tool #12: Listen to Your Intuition
Intuition is the most crucial decision making tool of all. Trust your gut! Listen to your conscience. This unexplainable thing inside that’s much wiser than the voice in your head. Your intuition won’t lead you astray, but anxiety will. Slow down, get space, and follow your instincts.
“Intuition is more powerful than intellect” – Steve Jobs
Tool #13: Detach
Do something to detach from thinking about the decision. Go on a long walk, listen to your favorite music, engage in a favorite hobby. Prayer and mediation are ways of “letting go” of the outcome. Detaching gets you in touch with your intuition.
Tool #14: Fight Perfectionism
Is wanting to make a perfect decision holding you back? Perfectionists won’t decide unless they can do it perfectly. Fight this tendency! On a scale of 1 to 10, be satisfied with a 7. Give yourself permission to make the best choice possible, fail, and learn.
“My greatest concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham Lincoln
Take action now! What’s a choice you’re struggling to make? You now have 14 tools to use to determine your course of action. Make some mistakes and GROW.
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How to Make the Good Decisions (Part 1)
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