How to make difficult decisions easily? Tony Robbins’ method
The decisions we make shape our personality and directly affect our quality of life. Our future fate largely depends on them. Why do we hesitate to make a decision so often when faced with an important choice?
There are different reasons: procrastination, perfectionism, lack of self-confidence, etc. However, it is mainly fear that stops us. Be it fear of change, fear of responsibility or fear of failure.
Fear is a natural emotion. But don’t let it lead you astray. If you delay making a decision too much, there may come a time when you have to act hastily and thoughtlessly, to your detriment.
“Be capable to take responsibility in a difficult life situation with no hesitation,” wrote the ancient Greek philosopher Aristippus in his guideline XVII — “Decisiveness.”
How can you learn to make decisions promptly and wisely?
A simple but effective algorithm developed by the famous business coach Tony Robbins will help us with this. It’s called OOC/EMR. Each letter of this acronym represents key steps in the process of making optimal decisions. This abbreviation stands for the following:
Outcomes, Options, Consequences, Evaluate, Mitigate, Resolve.
Robbins makes several recommendations for working with this system. In his opinion, all important decisions should be made in writing. Ideas written down in a notebook or arranged in a table on the computer make the process of finding a solution more productive.
In this case, you need to clearly formulate questions and answer them honestly. It is necessary to correctly determine your desires and goals. The question “WHY” is your guide: thanks to it, you can see the achievement of your desired goal through to the end.
Now we can turn to the technique itself. Let’s look at each step in detail:
- Outcomes.
This is a starting point that will make your intentions clear. Answer two simple questions:
- What results are you trying to achieve?
- Why do you want to achieve them?
If you have many goals, it is worth prioritizing.
2. Options.
Before you begin to evaluate consequences, write down all possible options, even those that seem insignificant or absurd. Sometimes the key to success lies in unexpected decisions.
3. Consequences.
Now that you’ve identified your options, consider each one individually.
- What are the pros and cons of each option?
- What will each option bring you?
- How much effort and expense will this cost you?
Now you have a more comprehensive understanding of each option.
4. Evaluate.
- Select the desired results from the first item.
- Determine on a scale of 1–10 how significant their advantages and disadvantages are.
Answer the questions:
- How high is the probability (from 0 to 100%) of positive or negative consequences?
- What emotional benefits does each option have?
5. Mitigate.
At this stage, evaluate the disadvantages of the remaining options. Consider whether it is possible to eliminate their shortcomings or reduce the negative effect.
6. Resolve.
The final step is decision. Based on all the work you’ve done, choose the option that is most likely to produce the results you want. To do this, you need to do the following:
- Choose the optimal option and make improvements.
- Make sure that regardless of the outcome, this option is a winning one.
- Develop an action plan and begin to implement it!
It is worth remembering that sometimes life circumstances make adjustments to your plans. Remain flexible, refine and change your approach to decision making at any stage of the method.
Decisiveness is a quality that helps us move forward and achieve our goals. Not everyone has this valuable character trait. However, your weaknesses can and should be used as a development tool. And Tony Robbins’ 6-step method will help you with this.
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