We make a staggering 35,000 decisions every day. Most of these decisions we don’t even register. They just happen.
Whether it is the way we take to work, how to answer an email, or what to eat for lunch, we’re making decisions. Sometimes, the decisions aren’t easy.
We waver. We wonder if we’re going to make the right choice.
This is where my decision-making strategy comes into play.
Photo by Carolina Pimenta on Unsplash
I like to make decisions quickly. If it takes a long time to decide on something, I figure I don’t need it, need to do it, or want it.
I hope the following techniques help you make more decisions quickly.
How To Make Decisions Quickly
Think about past experiences:
Our past experiences can be a roadmap to future decisions. When we look back on what we’ve done or experienced in the past, we can see how our choices played out.
If you’re faced with a new option, reflect back on your past choices. You can adapt your past responses to your current situation. You can also see how your decisions have not panned out.
This can help you make a better decision this time around.
Be okay with failure:
When you decide on an action plan, there’s always the risk of failure. The stakes can be high or low, but you’re still going to possibly fail.
You have to learn to be okay with failure.
Failure isn’t fatal. Failure, in my opinion, is a learning tool. We have to come to grips with the fact that failure happens.
We can move on. We can grow. We can change our choices in the future.
Be willing to fail.
Write down your options:
Sometimes, we have decision fatigue because we try to keep all our options in our heads. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Instead, I recommend you write out your options. Take 5-10 minutes and just write.
List every option that you can think of. Don’t hold back.
Create the ultimate list.
Then begin to strike out the ones that you know are not possible. Keep whittling. You’ll soon see you had a better idea than you thought of the situation.
Eventually, you’ll see 2-3 options that look really good. Pick between them.
Set a deadline:
The last suggestion is to set a deadline in your decision-making process. This can vary depending on the type of decision you have to make.
Simple decisions, you may decide require only a few minutes worths of time. More significant decisions like moving your business, getting married, or having children can take longer.
Whatever you do, though, set a deadline. This will force you to make a decision, and you won’t be able to dawdle.
Don’t Let Decisions Freeze You
You no longer have to freeze when you have to make a decision. You have the tools and resources to make wise, informed decisions quickly.
I know you’ll begin to feel more confident in your decisions. You’ll discover the joy of analyzing the situations in front of you and making a rapid decision.
You’ll see the positive results and keep on the path.
