We’re constantly making quick decisions about simple things like what to have for dinner or which brand of toilet paper to buy. Little or big, the decisions you’re making today will determine your future. How quickly you can make decisions and avoid analysis paralysis determines how quickly you can achieve your goals.
Emotional triggers and noise get in the way and cause us to withdraw or distract ourselves when faced with a tough decision. Or, you may start overthinking it or researching online to see how other people, usually strangers, dealt with the same issue.
Its inevitable that you’ll have to decide, and going through the scenario in your head over and over or avoiding it won’t get you further. Being smart and mindful will. There’s only so much analyzing you can do.
By working through your dilemma by practicing these mindfulness techniques, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions more easily.
- Figure out if it’s a final decision – If the decision can never be reversed or if it would take you a lot of time or money to switch it later, take your time with figuring out what you want to do. Otherwise, it’s time to go for it and decide what you want to do.
- Visualize the goal – Think about how this decision will impact you reaching your goals. Which path do you think will take you closer to meeting your goals? A clear choice might stand out as the obvious answer. Remember, your everyday decisions determine how far you get.
- Make a conscious decision to put it aside for now – If it’s not pressing and you still aren’t sure what to do after visualizing your goal, sleep on it. Just make sure you come back to it later.
- Relax First – When we’re stressed, our decision-making skills go out the door. We experience vasoconstriction in our amygdala making it very difficult to process any emotional decisions. If you come back to your dilemma once you’re relaxed, it will be much easier to process it.
- Find your own biases – Identifying your own biases is an important step in making rational decisions. Slow down and take the time to figure out which emotions you feel about the decision and why.
- Use technology – If it’s a financial decision you’re making, utilize technology (like a spreadsheet) to determine the outcome of each path. You’ll have an easier time deciding once you know the full financial impact of each outcome.
- Reach out to others – Share your dilemma with a business partner, friend, or a decision-making group at your company. There’s no harm in asking for opinions. Try to diversify your outreach and find people you know may have different perspectives. Relying on one biased opinion may be a mistake.
- Put your customer first – If you’re making a business-related decision, think about what’s going to improve your client’s experience the most. Evaluating the impact on your customers and tying the decision back to your mission may make deciding easier.
Making big decisions takes courage. It requires you to take action despite uncertainty. If you don’t move forward, you’ll be stuck where you are. The best we can do for ourselves is move forward and do what feels right.
Even if you make the wrong decision and have to adjust or change it later on, you’ll learn from the experience and make even better decisions in the future.
