Some people can come to conclusions at the drop of a dime, while others fall apart while trying to make the most menial decisions. It’s not about making snap-decisions, or stewing over your thoughts for weeks. It’s about learning a process that works for you in order to walk the line between impulsivity and fear of failure.
As we all know, not all decision-making is equal. Some are easy; some seem near impossible. When we face multiple decision-making circumstances each and every day, how can we successfully navigate through the process? How do we know when to make quick decisions and when to take more time? What separates those who make good choices from those who make unfavorable ones?
There are some consistent habits of those who have been successful versus those who repeat destructive patterns due to their decision making. Our habits almost always dictate our future; particularly our decision-making habits. The great thing is, habits can always be developed and improved!
Here are some of the decision-making habits of those who have a successful and happy life:
- They get to know themselves. What does knowing yourself have to do with making decisions? Knowing yourself is essential to everything that you do. You need to know what you stand for, what your goals are, what you ultimately want in life, where your boundaries lie, etc. before you can make decisions that will sit right with you.
- They get informed. It’s important to know all sides before you go about making a decision. It’s all too easy to become biased from once source beforehand, but intelligent people hear out all perspectives before they make their own conclusion.
- They’re thoughtful. It’s not good to be indecisive, but it’s also not a good thing to make split-decisions on a consistent basis. It’s important to be able to sit with your thoughts for a while.
- They ask questions. When faced with a problem, it’s crucial to ask questions. It may seem like a no-brainer, but for many people, in certain circumstances, this can be very uncomfortable. A lot of times, we just take things as they are and go with the information that we have. It’s important to ask questions when you’re confused or concerned in order to equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to make educated decisions.
- They seek advice. Never be afraid to ask for some guidance. Ask a trusted friend, family member, or mentor what they would do in that particular situation. Only ask those who are successful in that particular area of expertise, and take the advice with a grain of salt. This is your life.
- They’re able to weigh things out. Weighing out the pros and cons is very important to the decision-making process. You’ve got to be able to objectively compare the benefits versus the disadvantages of the circumstance as an isolated situation.
- They look forward. After looking at the benefits versus the consequences of the decision on its own, you can’t miss the step of looking at the aftermath. What are the repercussions of this decision? Do you need to make adjustments accordingly?
- They’re intuitive. Intuition plays a more than important role in making decisions. We have our instinctual pull for a reason.
- They learn from their past. When it comes to any situation, the most successful people learn from their past experiences. What has worked in your past decision-making processes? What hasn’t? Identify patterns and eliminate what doesn’t work, while improving the techniques that do.
This may seem like a very complicated list for simply making a choice. However, the process happens very quickly in our heads and it’s important to be conscious of our habits in order to make decisions which promote a successful and happy lifestyle.
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