How to Make Good Decisions

How do you make good decisions? The decisions you make have huge impacts on your life. Making good decisions can be challenging. If you want to achieve your goals in life, then you will have to learn to make better decisions.

Every one of us faces different situations that need to make decisions with different consequences.

Some decisions can be easy and simple. Easy decisions can be what to eat, which and what colour clothes to wear, etc. And the consequences may be minor or small.

On the other hand, some decisions can be difficult and that may be required a deep level of thought. How to make decisions about career, changing job profession, who to get marry, what business to start or where to invest, etc, can be difficult decisions?

Understanding and learning, how to make life decisions is important. The reason is, life-changing decisions can make or break your life. The decisions can lead you to success or failure.

Therefore, it is very essential for every one of us to know how to make good decisions to have a productive and extraordinary life.

What is Decision-making?

Decision-making simply means choosing among different choices. In other words, it is a process of examining and comparing different possibilities options, and taking a course of action.

Also, it refers to selecting or choosing a course of action from two or more possible options or alternatives.

 

Also read: Why Decision Making is Important

 

How to Make Right Decisions

How to make good decisions in life can be a difficult task as mentioned earlier in this article, but there are some guidelines that you can follow to make good decision in life.

This section examines the steps or rules for making a decision in life. These steps of decision-making can boost the chances of your success. They include:

1.  Outlining Issue or Problem

The decision-making process starts with investigating a particular issue, or problem. When you face a problem or situation, you have to fully understand it before making a decision.

For better decision-making outline the issue. I think it will be very difficult to decide about anything that is not clear. A clear and detailed investigation of a situation or issue is important for the right decision.

If you don’t know what exactly the issue or situation is, then you won’t be able to make a decision.

Investigating the problem in detail allows and helps you to make better decisions.

 

2. Identify the Goal of Decision

After a thorough investigation of the issue, you must identify the purpose or goal of that decision.

 A clear goal of a decision enables you to make a decision in a particular situation.

For example, if you want to buy a car, you can ask yourself a question that why do you want to buy a car?  The purpose of buying a car?

A good strategy for making effective decision-making is to focus on your goal. And what problem or issue will be resolved by making that decision.

Knowing the reason for making a good decision will keep you positive for having that decision.

 

3. Gather Facts and Information for Decision

When you outlined the issue or problem, and already know the goal of your decision-making, then the next step to gather facts and information about that problem.

For the right decision, the information must be related to that particular problem.

It will enable you that what should be done for solving the problem. And it will help you to generate different ideas for solving a problem.

The more alternatives you generate or gather, the more effective decision you make.

Exploring wider alternatives or options will help you for making a good decision.

When you make a decision remember you gather all important information, and you don’t rely on assumptions.

 

4. Choose the Good Options

Remember one thing and that thing is avoiding information overload. Too much information can make the process of decision-making complicated.

When you gathered all information and facts that are related to the problem, then the next step is to choose the options that are close to your values, and interests.

Compatibility of the options with your values and interests is important for making a good decision.

When you have chosen the best options among others, then you must evaluate the feasibility, risks, and implications of those alternatives.

Decisions come with some degree of risks. It needs an effective approach for assessing threats and evaluating the probability of occurring adverse events.

 

5. Distance Yourself from the Situation

I think it can be a good strategy to make the right decisions in life by distancing yourself from the situation.

The biggest advantage of this strategy is that you see the situation from a third-person perspective, and that can help you to decide effectively.

A person in a tough or difficult situation can be confused, but another person from outside can come with a good solution to that situation.

If you still part of the problematic situation, it will be hard to make a decision, but when you consider yourself as a third person and see the situation from that perspective, it will make it easy to understand the situation.

 

6. Consider Decision’s Consequences

Every decision has consequences. Therefore, it is quite important to consider the consequences of your decision.

The consequence of any decision is the last fruit that you will get at the end.

When you consider the consequences of your decision, it will enable you to determine how the decision will impact your future.

At this point, you can ask yourself, what will be the consequences or outcomes of the decision you are going to take.

At this stage also you can review the pros and cons of all alternatives you listed before. And that will help you to select the best one.

 

8. Taking Control of Your Emotions

Your emotions can affect your decision-making. Emotions such as happiness, anger, etc. can affect your decisions.

For effective decisions, you will have to control your emotions. For example, when you angry and you make a decision, it can lead you to negative consequences.

Also, when you happy and you make a decision, at the time of making that decision it may be looking good, but the consequences might be bad.

It is very crucial to understand the fact that your emotions can potentially affect the decisions. Therefore, don’t allow your emotions to affect your decision-making process.

 

9. Make Your Decision

When you finish your homework after collecting information, assessing alternatives, selecting the best option, considering the consequences, and goals of your decision, then you can make a decision.

This stage can be stressful because it is a final stage where you have to trust the studies you did before.

At this point, you don’t have to be indecisive otherwise it will make you less confident to make the decision. And also lack of decision at the final stage can lead you to further stress and anxiety.

 

10. Assessing and Evaluating Your Decision

After making a decision and putting it into action, then there is one more crucial step that is assessment and evaluation of your decision.

It is necessary because you must know the decision you have made is leading you towards desired outcomes.

This step can help you to check whether the information collected is working, if not then what changes to be made to achieve outcomes.

If one option you have selected doesn’t work, then you will have to go back and choose another one.

Therefore, assessment and evaluation are essential for making the right decision.

 

Final Thoughts

How to make right decisions in life? I believe, the above ten steps can help you to make the right decisions in life.

Good decisions make your life better. And in the same way, indecisiveness, or lack of decision makes your life ineffective.

If you want to make your life successful and extraordinary, then you have to master how to make good decisions.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you make the right decision in life?

To make the right decision in life three elements are crucial: investigating the problem, understanding the decision’s goal, and collecting the right information.

 

What are the 5 decision-making skills?

5 decision-making skills are: identifying facts and information, choosing the relevant information, establishing priorities, analysis of consequences, and identifying risks.

 

How do you make good decisions fast?

Set quickly your decision’s goals, avoid perfectionism, avoid information overload, and select the most relevant options to make good decisions fast.

 

 

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