10 ways to make better Decision in life

Life is all about decision making, every moment we have to make certain decisions in life. Some are easy like daily routine decisions such as what we have for dinner, which dresses we should wear, which movies we should watch on weekends, etc.

On the other hand, there are some difficult or impactful decisions that we have to make in life it could be about a career, choosing a life partner, where to invest our money, which things to avoid eating for good health, etc.

These decisions in life have a greater impact on us, if they work well then life would be easy but if they didn’t work well then we have to struggle a lot. So whether you like it or not, you have to make decisions for every moment in life.

That’s why it is very important that you should learn the skill of decision making in life. This will help you when you are struggling to make decisions, facing unexpected uncertainty, going through life problems, have confusion in mind.

Because your future is completely dependent on the decisions that you make today. In this article, I am going to share with you 10 ways to make better decisions in life, so that after reading this it becomes easy for you to make better decisions. Let’s start…

 

Why Good decision-making is important in life?

We all make decisions throughout our day, some are pretty straightforward decisions for that you don’t need to think a lot, on the other hand, there are some decisions that we have to make under tough or complicated situations.

And those have long-term impacts on our lives while making such decisions we think a lot because we feel unsure and hesitant during this process, of course, it’s normal. We feel unsure because we think about the negative consequences of that decision.

When we faced a tough or complicated decision in life, then it’s normal to feel confused, tired, overwhelmed, stressed, unsure and distracted, etc. These feelings may stop you from making a decision or delay your decision-making process.

But not making a decision is also one type of decision that has a negative impact on your life. So it’s important to understand how to make effective decisions in tough or complicated situations.

See nobody can guarantee that every decision they make has a positive outcome, making decisions is under our control but its consequence is not in our control, some decisions may give you a positive outcome and some may give you a negative outcome.

So it is always better to carefully think before making any decision in life. At least you can give your 100% in a decision-making process that is actually in your control. Now Let’s talk about the 10 ways which help you in making better decisions in life.

 

 

1. Know what motivates you – 

Before you start making a big decision in life ask yourself what do you want from your life because making big choices before you know that is like you are traveling without knowing your final destination.

Do you want a nice house, high-paying job, and wonderful family or do you want a life filled with adventure where you earn lots of money and work for crazy hours like Elon musk.

Basically, what do you want? are you happy with less income and need more time with family or want to earn money and ready to work 24/7? It’s not about what is right and what is wrong. It’s all up to you, what are you expecting from your life.

So first figure that out and be clear in your mind that how you want to live your life? This clarity will guide you in making better decisions in life or I would say it helps you in making the right choices according to your expectations.

Read more – Kaizen way to self-improvement: Get 1% better everyday.

 

2. Check whether it is a big decision or a small one – 

The world’s wealthiest person Jeff Bezos told the rule of thumb while making a decision in life according to him first, we should ask ourselves whether it is a big decision or a small one? Because the time and energy spent on both types of decisions must be different.

It matches depending upon how important is the decision. If it is a big decision then spend more time on thinking, on the other hand for small decisions don’t waste more time and energy.

The big decision means the decisions which have a serious impact on your health, finances, career, relationships, or other areas of your life. While making such decisions don’t stress out the better way is to consult with older ones or experts in the field, take suggestions from them.

This will give you more clarity and an idea about the positive and negative consequences of that decision. If the decisions are small one which does not have a serious impact on your life areas then avoid overanalyzing it just make the decision quickly. 

So the point is here spend your time and energy as per the level and importance of the decision.

 

3. Be aware of the Risk – 

You can’t eliminate the risk while making decisions in life, every decision comes with some sort of risk, and avoiding it is impossible. We see sometimes people suffer a lot after making wrong decisions in life because initially, they are not aware of the risk.

On the other hand, some people make choices after evaluating the risk which leads to good expected outcomes. So while making a decision think about the risk involved, analyze it, and focus on taking a calculated risk.

If the decision fails what is the risk involved? you must be aware of that risk. Prepare yourself for that risk. Make sure you should have the plan to manage that risk. That means you should be aware of all types of the positive and negative outcomes of your decisions.

 

4. Use data to make decisions – 

When you are watching a TV documentary about plane crashes, you might be thinking flying is the worst decision ever until you look at the data on how safe it is to travel through planes. 

Or you are watching a presentation by a good speaker salesman who is telling you how much money they have made for people who have invested in their investment schemes.

Right now you are feeling pumped about how much money you can make too if you put just a few amounts into their accounts. But without doing your research and looking at some of the hard data, nobody can tell you what is likely to happen if you invest money.

See the important point here is, if the decision is a big one do your research and use all the data you have to look at that decision from all the different angles. Analyze it with the help of available research data to get more clarity and then go for it.

 

5. Trust your gut instincts – 

Collecting the data while making a decision is great when that option is available to you but sometimes you have to make fast decisions without much data or information, in such situations put your gut instincts work.

The best thing about your gut instincts is they are not random, they are actually the combined result of a huge number of experiences you gathered over time in your life. In such a situation, they can help you make better decisions.

This will help you when you are confused about your decision and no data is available to you. Then believe in your instincts and make decisions.

Read more – When it’s okay to trust your gut on a big decision?

 

6. Conquer your fear – 

Fear is the most powerful limiting emotion which always holds you back while making a big decision in life. Fear and nervousness can really hold you back from grabbing a great opportunity.

Opportunities like starting your own business, giving presentations in front of investors, changing your job, etc. You can miss these opportunities because of limiting emotions like fear.

So while making any decision in life when this emotion called fear shows up be aware that they are there and deal with them effectively at the mental level.

Go for those decisions (like starting a business) even if you feel scared, you should rise above that fear and don’t miss out on the opportunity.

 

7. Don’t make decisions in excitement- 

Like Fear, excitement is also dangerous emotion that can send you down on the wrong path by making wrong decisions. When you are excited you feel overconfident, you are blind to the negative side of decisions you are just thinking about the positive side.

But that is not probably even exists, every decision has two sides i.e. positive and negative, in excitement mode we only think about the positive side as like in the fear mode we only think about the negative side.

Like fear when this emotion called excitement shows up while making a decision in life be aware that they are there and deal with them effectively. Slow down your thinking take a deep breath and postpone your decision until you feel normal. 

So the point here is not too excited and not too scared while making decisions, you should keep a balance and to manage these two limiting emotions you can use techniques like meditation and deep breathing.

 

8. Limit your options – 

The most confusing part of the decision-making process is having multiple options available and selecting one from the list. It is confusing because every option has some data or information that you have to analyze.

While going through each option’s data, you go through all details that make your brain go to mush from information overload and you actually forget what decision or choice you trying to make in the first place.

You end up with the analysis of paralysis, you overthinking so much that you can’t able to select the best choice for you or are unable to make the best decision for you.

So the better way to go about this is to limit the information or data you are looking at by limiting your options. You must be selective while considering the different options during the decision-making process. With this, you will see things more clearly and make decisions easily.

 

9. Stand by your values while making decisions – 

All of us sometimes make decisions that don’t work out and sure it always sucks but when you went against your values too that’s when you really regret it.

Let’s look at going with your values you help out a friend who deserves your help but you end up losing money or opportunities, at least you know you did the right things.

What about the opposite you screw somebody over to make a quick buck and get called out because you went against your values. Your reputation suffers as do your relationships and your self-esteem as you are beating yourself up about it with your head in the sand.

Avoid these situations and simply follow your values while making a decision in life.

 

10. Imagine you are giving advice to your friend – 

This is one of the best and my favorite method to make bigger decisions in life because we humans are naturally good at advising others. In this method same thing, you can apply it to yourself.

Let say if you want to make a decision simply you should tell yourself “if my friend is in the same situation then what advice I would give him”. Visualize this entire process, imagine you are advising your friend on the same topic. 

Imagine it is not you making a decision, imagine it’s your friend who is making a decision and you are the one giving advice to your friend.

The great thing about this method is it takes you out of that situation and makes you observe it from somebody else’s perspective and it also saves you from getting tangled up in all of the unnecessary details.

 

Conclusion- 

Whenever you come across a tough decision in life then you can think about these 10 effective ways to make better choices. Also, you can discuss your decisions with somebody to whom you can trust either family/friends or your guide.

Decision-making in life is very important so make sure you should never get stressed out while making it, just be relaxed and give yourself time to think about it. Always analyze your past experiences when you come across the same situation.

With a peaceful mind, it becomes easy for you to make better choices in life. If you found this article useful then please share it in your network and subscribe to get more such articles.