It’s not easy to make decisions partly because of the possible consequences. This delay can mount intense pressure, which most people try to avoid. However, not taking action can have a more painful outcome than you thought.
Imagine a person who really hates their job to the point of feeling suffocated when they’re in the office. That person has several options, including following her passion, starting a business, or pursuing her other calling. But, it’s not easy to pick the best choice; thus, she will remain stuck in the same routine because of that.
Most people postpone making decisions and spend that time doing what they hate, but it affects their welfare. If you can relate to these feelings, you’re in the right place.
The article will share some steps that can help you make decisions as soon as you can.
Why You Should Make Decisions Really Fast
In life, there are so many decisions that one can make. Some are weighty and can’t be rushed, while others are not. For instance, a couple experiencing marital problems might find it hard to decide whether to remain in the marriage, separate, or divorce. Another might find it hard to decide about taking a massive investment in a construction or renovation project. The involved may want to spend more time meditating and researching the best course of action.
However, the faster you decide, the more successful you’re likely to be. The reason is not that you’ll make the best decision every time but because you get feedback from whatever action you take. This gives you a chance to correct the wrong course you took earlier.
On the other hand, you miss this opportunity when you postpone making decisions. In other words, you lose that forward motion because you miss new and different feedback since you postpone making new decisions. You also use the same options and potential outcomes, which don’t get you anywhere.
Tips for Making Decisions Faster
You might have two options that look alike or with similar goods, or you’re gritting your teeth to pick the best, but none seem ideal. The following tips can help you choose the better option.
1. Identify the Stay You’re In
Are you in a phase where you’re weighing options or just about to put off making them all together? The delay in making decisions can escalate your situation to no longer making the right decision to making just any decision.
Take, for example, the fact that you have set up a coaching business, but you’re wondering what to launch. You might be templating one-on-one coaching, a group program, or hosting an event. Any delay in making this decision can cost you a lot of money, and doing nothing is not an option.
2. Get Into the Right State
The right mindset enables you to access the necessary set of resources to help you take swift action without delays or second-guessing yourself. This stage enables you to be decisive, serene, and visionary. It helps you see the big picture.
So even if a decision has to be made, it can be difficult to make it. But because you’re connected to logic, you will gather all the information you need and trust your intuition to steer you right because you want the best for everyone you care about.
3. What Do You Know in Your Heart?
When you feel stuck during the decision-making process, you don’t want to take action even though you know what to do. Even if you know that it’s the right thing to do, you might fear getting someone angry or upsetting them.
You can overcome this by listening to your heart and listing everything the heart tells you down. Further, avoid focusing on everything you don’t know. Instead, shift your focus by writing down everything that you know about the situation and then use the details to move forward.
4. Do You Have Enough information that You Need?
It’s easy to make decisions when you have all the information you need. But don’t make final decisions when you have some missing important information. Instead, take steps to get the missing information so that you can make healthy decisions.
But don’t be tangled in endless research. Instead, work out what is necessary and commit to taking action when you gather all the information.
5. Make Your Decision
Now that you have all the necessary information, it’s the right time to make your choice or move into action. However, this is the step you have been avoiding, so you might have some resistance because you’re afraid of making the wrong decision.
Getting locked in procrastination is not the best choice. But making a decision takes you a step higher or can improve things. Don’t be afraid of making decisions because you fear taking the wrong route; rather, view this as useful feedback because it allows you to correct your course and move on to something else. You can never get that feedback unless you move into action.
Reasons Why Making Decision is a Challenge
Allowing Stress to Get Better of You: Making decisions can be stressful and can cause anxiety, especially when it involves tough choices. As a result, a person might opt to rush their decisions before thinking them through or, worse still, avoid making a decision at all. But, you can manage your stress to avoid clouding your thinking by hanging out with friends, talking to a trusted friend, taking a walk, etc.
Being under Intense Pressure: You can’t think clearly when you’re under intense pressure. Also, your first choice or idea is not always the best. But you can make good choices when you allow yourself some time to sit on a problem and process the options until you feel confident enough to decide.
Not Considering All the Possibilities: A single decision can have multiple outcomes, but not all are obvious. So when evaluating each option, look beyond the positives and negatives; instead, consider the likely consequences.
Avoiding Other People’s Perspective: Talk it out with a trusted friend or family member. This could be helpful, especially if the person has faced a similar decision in the past. For instance, if you’re considering renovating the roof of your house or replacing it completely, you can gather a lot of information when you talk to a friend who did it recently.
Don’t Lose Sight of the Bigger Picture: Some people avoid weighing the pros and cons when faced with a big decision because they lose sight of the bigger picture. They fail to list down the pros and cons of each option and compare them. Looking deeply into these cons might reveal that they’re not that bad after all, and the pros might not be the best out there.
Overlooking Those Likely to have a Bad Response to Your Choices: There are some people that might be affected by your decisions. Because of that, you shouldn’t ignore their opinion. Instead, you should consider talking to them prior to making a decision. It’s also very important to put yourself in their shoes because it helps you manage the situation.
Not Rethinking Your Options: People tend to overlook new factors when they make decisions under a lot of pressure. You have no time to consider new information or options, or they think their original choices are still the best. But you should rethink your options and go through the above steps again and again until you figure out the best solution.
Are You Still Having a Tough Time Making Your Decisions?
Do you still feel overwhelmed with uncertainty or negative feelings about the decision you’re just about to make? If so, take a break and look after yourself. Try to engage in things you love to clear your mind.
You can also talk to a trusted friend, family member, or counselor. This will help you go through the decision-making process and analyze the different strategies.
