Making decisions is an essential life skill, and mastering it can skyrocket your life, success, and happiness.
Decisions, be they big or small, can shape our paths more than we can imagine.
They determine what jobs we choose, the relationships we build, and the experiences we have.
But decision-making isn’t always so easy, and we are often scared of uncertainty, making mistakes, or whether we’re making the right choice.
Life is filled with decisions, and developing your decision-making skills will help you navigate the twists and turns easier.
So without further ado, let’s talk about 15 ways to master the art of decision-making.
Don’t worry if you don’t feel like reading, you can enjoy the video below or watch it on YouTube:
1
Understand that it’s a skill
It’s important to realize that making decisions is not a matter of luck or ability. Instead, it’s a skill that can be learned and improved through practice.
You can get better at making choices over time, just like you can get better at playing the piano or skating on ice.
Seeing things from this point of view is the first step to making better decisions.
Think of the way you make decisions as a muscle that you can improve by using it regularly.
Every choice you have to make is a chance to use and improve this skill.
If you know you can get better at making decisions, you are generally ready to grow in this area of your life.
Don’t let past mistakes or times when you were indecisive get you down. Instead, you can look at these events as chances to grow and learn.
If you want to master decision-making, you need to understand that it is a skill you can develop. Once you do, you will become more confident and effective in making choices that suit your goals and ambitions.
2
Get comfortable with being wrong
Rule of thumb for mastering decision-making: Making the right choice won’t necessarily lead to the desired outcome.
In life, no one can promise you anything, and many things outside of your control can change how a choice you make turns out.
Instead of getting angry or upset when a choice doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, look at these situations as opportunities to learn.
Mistakes and bad results shouldn’t be seen as failures. Instead, they should be seen as steps on the way to making better decisions.
When you face failure, use it as a chance to figure out what went wrong and why.
This will help you understand the choices you have made and how they have affected you. It will give you the experience you need to make better choices in the future.
Always keep in mind that even the most successful people have had problems and made mistakes.
Their ability to learn from these events and change for the next ones is what keeps them going.
So, remember that sometimes being wrong is not a sign of weakness; it’s just a normal part of learning.
3
Avoid hindsight bias
Hindsight bias is a mental trap that many people fall into when they are trying to make choices.
It happens when you let what you learn after making a choice change how you judge and think about that decision.
It’s so easy to look back and think, “I should have known better” when things go wrong.
Think about how many times you’ve had a conversation and then thought of better things you could have said afterward.
It’s important to keep your thoughts as free as possible from hindsight bias if you want to make better decisions.
Instead of being hard on yourself for what you know now, think about what you knew at the time you made that choice.
Always tell yourself that you did the best you could with what you knew at the time, which was limited.
You can’t change what happened in the past, but you can learn from it.
Consider what you knew and what was going on at the time you made a choice to help you understand and accept it.
This will help you evaluate things more objectively and avoid the scary trap of “hindsight bias.”
4
It’s all about probability
In the world of decision-making, uncertainty will always be your companion.
We rarely find ourselves in situations where every choice and result is clear.
Understanding the uncertainty that comes with making decisions is an important step in learning how to master it.
Instead of trying to find certainty where it’s obvious there isn’t any, try to make decisions based on odds and what’s likely to happen.
Imagine that every choice you make is a game of chance:
- What are the odds that different things will happen?
- How much do you want these things to happen?
If you think about the odds and what you expect to happen, you can make better choices that are in line with your goals and values.
Let’s say you’re trying to decide whether to take a job in a new place. You can’t know everything about your life there in the future.
But you can think about the good and bad things that could happen:
Will this job give me a chance to move up in my career? How likely is it that you’ll like the new city?
Think about these things, compare them to each other, and decide based on the odds.
5
Pre-commit
One powerful strategy for mastering the decision-making process is to pre-commit by setting clear criteria and objectives before facing a choice.
This pre-commitment acts as a guideline, helping you stay focused on your goals and values when the actual process begins.
Before making any important decision, take the time to define what matters most to you. What are your objectives?
What values do you want to keep while making a decision?
By establishing these criteria, you create a framework to evaluate your options.
For example, if you’re considering changing careers, your criteria should include things like job satisfaction, work-life balance, and opportunities for growth.
When you evaluate potential job offers, use these criteria as a checklist to determine which options align with your goals and preferences.
In essence, pre-commitment empowers you to approach decision-making with more clarity, leading to choices that are more suitable for you, your mind, and your expectations.
It’s a valuable tool for becoming a more disciplined and focused decision-maker.
6
Ask your inner circle to demolish your decisions
Mastering decision-making should not be a solitary action; it often benefits from multiple perspectives and insights.
To improve your decision-making skills, try to seek advice and opinions from your inner circle of trusted friends.
They can play a crucial role in providing honest feedback and evaluating your choices.
Your inner circle should consist of people whose judgment you respect and who have your best interests at heart.
They can offer fresh viewpoints, raise critical questions, and bring different experiences to the table.
By involving them in making a decision, you gain a wider understanding of the potential consequences of your choices.
But it’s important to rely on your close and trustworthy friends with an open mind and be willing to accept constructive criticism.
Sometimes, your initial choices might be challenged, but this can lead to better-informed decisions and improved outcomes in the long run.
By listening to feedback from your close ones, you can refine your choices, avoid potential pitfalls, and make better decisions that can truly help you.
It’s a valuable step towards becoming a more thoughtful and effective decision-maker.
7
Avoid sunk cost fallacy
It’s important not to let your past investments affect the decisions you make right now.
Focus on what will help you get ahead in life instead.
It’s easy to use what you’ve done in the past to help you decide what to do.
After all, they helped you become the person you are now.
But it’s important to keep in mind that every situation is different, and what worked in the past might not be the best way to handle things now.
Consider your past investments, whether they were financial, emotional, or time-related.
While they may have been valuable learning experiences, they shouldn’t make you consider a particular course of action.
Life is always changing, and so are your opportunities.
Your goals and values may have changed over time, and you need to make sure that your choices reflect that.
Instead of thinking about what you did in the past, look to the future.
Think about where you are now, what you want to achieve, and the best way to get there.
Ask for advice, gather information, and make choices based on what you need now and what you want to do in the future.
You can make decisions that fit your current position and goals if you focus on what is best for the future instead of letting what happened in the past affect you.
8
Judge the quality of your decision, not the outcome
Here’s one thing about mastering decision-making that you need to take as a given: A good choice doesn’t always lead to a good result.
It’s important to make decisions based on what you know and why you think that way.
Even when we try hard, things don’t always work out the way we want them to.
We’ve all been in cases where we made a well-thought-out choice, but bad things happened because of factors outside of our control.
During these times, it’s easy to feel down or even wonder if we’re making good decisions.
But it’s important to remember that you should judge the quality of a decision based on the knowledge you had at the time and how you came to it.
Even if a choice doesn’t turn out the way you want it to, it can still be a good one if it is carefully thought out.
Life is unpredictable, and there are many things we can’t control. Even when we make the best choices, sometimes things happen that we couldn’t have seen coming.
Instead of only thinking about the outcome, it’s best to think about how the choice was made:
- Did you find out what you needed to know?
- Did you consider the pros and cons?
- Did you make your choice based on facts?
9
Make a “not-to-do” list
Think about the actions or decisions you keep making that keep giving you trouble, and try to avoid doing them again.
It’s important to learn from your mistakes so that you can make better choices in the future.
When you notice that the same action or choice always leads to bad results, it’s a sign that you should try something else.
By identifying these patterns, you can break the cycle of negative consequences. Move towards more positive results!
For example, if overspending has always led to money problems, you should avoid buying things you don’t need and make a careful budget.
In the same way, if your relationships have been strained by things like constant fighting, you should try to talk to each other better and find healthier ways to connect.
In general, a big part of personal growth and success is being able to recognize and avoid actions that always lead to bad results.
Mastering decision-making implies making choices that are in line with your goals and ideals.
10
When you can’t increase the outcome, decrease the risk
In life, you can’t always be sure to get what you want, but you can take steps to make your decisions less risky.
There are times when outside forces or things you didn’t expect can change what happens, making you unable to control it.
But that doesn’t mean you have no power. You can still deal with risks if you are smart and ready.
Imagine you are planning an outdoor event, but you don’t know what the weather will be like.
You can’t change the weather, but you can make plans for what to do if it rains or snows. For example: have an indoor place as a backup or give people rain gear.
This way, you can lessen the chance that bad weather will ruin your event.
In the same way, you can’t predict how the market will change, but you can spread the risk by putting your money in different places.
By doing this, you lessen the effect a downturn in one area has on your investments as a whole.
Even though you can’t control everything, you can reduce risks by making decisions based on what you know, planning ahead, and being flexible.
This way of thinking makes it easier to deal with uncertainty and improves your chances of getting good results. Another good reason why you should master decision-making.
11
Work With Pros and Cons
When making a choice, it’s a good idea to think about the pros and cons of that choice.
This can help you figure out what’s going on.
First, you should look at the positives of your choice.
You can also figure out which choice might be better for you by thinking about the pros. You can pay attention to what’s really important.
Next, you should think about the bad things. This helps you see what might go wrong or what could go wrong.
Overall, looking at both the pros and cons can help you see your options more clearly and make your choice easier.
You can even use lists to help you figure out what to do.
12
Take a Step Back
It’s important to give yourself time to think deeply about big decisions, especially when you’re feeling strong emotions.
When you’re feeling strong emotions, like when you’re really mad or happy, it can be hard to make clear choices.
Mastering decision-making means gaining the ability to zoom out on your life.
Find a quiet moment to gather your thoughts and let your feelings settle.
This can help you make better choices and think more clearly.
By giving yourself this time, you can keep yourself from making bad choices that you might later regret. It’s like putting a stop to making decisions on the spot.
So, when you have to make a big choice and your feelings are all over the place, remember to slow down.
Give yourself some time and a quiet place to think about everything.
As a result of this, you will make choices that are more well-thought-out and wise. Having your personal space and time is of paramount importance when it comes to mastering decision-making.
13
Use a Methodical Approach
When you have to make a choice, it’s best to do things in a planned way.
This means giving the choice a lot of thought and looking at it from different angles.
You can think about the choices you have, what might happen if you choose one, and whether it’s something you can really do.
Think of it this way: Figuring out what to do is like putting together a puzzle.
You have to look at each piece to see how it fits with the rest.
First, asses your options. Think of each one as a piece of a puzzle.
Then, think about what could happen if you choose one piece over the others. That is looking at the results.
Last, figure out if you can finish the problem with the piece you chose. This is called “feasibility.”
By going through this step-by-step process, you are being careful and making sure you understand everything before you make a decision.
It’s like taking your time to solve the puzzle right instead of trying to get it done quickly.
So, the next time you have to make a choice, do it in a methodical way.
Look at all your choices, think about what could happen, and make sure it’s something you can actually do. Otherwise, what’s the point of mastering your decision-making skills?
14
Consider the Rule of 10
Imagine yourself thinking about the choice you’re about to make, both now and in the future.
Think about how you might feel about it in 10 minutes, 10 months, or even 10 years.
This will help you figure out how it will affect you in the long run.
This is one way to look at it: Picture that you are planting a tree. In 10 minutes, it will look like you just planted a small seedling.
It’s gotten a bit taller in 10 months, and you can see the change. But after 10 years, that small tree has grown big and strong.
When making a choice, you should think about how you’ll feel about it soon after, like in 10 minutes.
Will it make you happy right away or make you feel bad?
Then think about what it might mean for you in the next 10 months. Will it still seem like a good choice, or will you wish you’d made a different one?
Last, think about what will happen 10 years from now. Will your choice result in a strong and healthy “tree,” which is a good sign?
By looking at your decision from these different points in time, you can make choices that are in line with your future goals and well-being, not just your current wants.
15
Use your intuition, but not too much
When making choices, intuition, which is like a gut feeling or instinct, can sometimes be helpful.
But it’s best to trust your gut when you know a lot about the subject and have a lot of experience in it.
Imagine you are trying to find a solution to a problem.
If you’ve solved similar problems many times before, you might trust your instincts to help you figure out what to do next.
But if it’s a new kind of problem you’ve never had before, it’s better to take your time and think it over carefully.
In the same way, if you know a lot about a subject or have a lot of experience in it, your intuition can be a good help when making decisions.
It’s like having a guide that works well. But when you don’t know much about something, it’s better to find out more, do some study, and think about your options more carefully.
Like having a map to help you find your way.
So, it’s good to trust your gut but make sure it’s backed up by your knowledge and experience, especially in areas where you’re an expert.
Before making a choice in a place you don’t know well, take the time to gather information and think things over.
This will make it more likely that you will make choices that are good for you.
In fact, we made a post a while back that goes hand in hand with this one. If you’re interested in learning more about the decision-making process, you can read it here.
These were 15 ways to master the decision-making process. These are tried and true methods that will only make your life better once you make sense of them. So do it! See you next time.
