Ideas in the Wild: Frederic Bahnson Is Helping People to Learn How to Make Better Decisions

Some people hope destiny will create a great future for them, but we all have something more powerful than destiny: we have the power of choice. If our future is defined by the decisions we make, how do we make the right decisions? Those vary from person to person, so how can we decide what is uniquely right for us and build the future we want?

In Better Than Destiny, decision-making expert Dr. Frederic Bahnson takes the guesswork out of making good decisions and helps people to set and achieve the goals that truly matter to them. His framework, backed by vetted scientific research, shows how to create purpose and build sustainable success. I recently caught up with Dr. Bahnson to learn more about why he wrote the book and the ideas he shares with readers.

What problem do you see people struggling with?

The cold, hard truth is most of us suck at making good decisions. As humans, we have many cognitive biases. These instinctual ways of thinking have served us well as a species, helping us to survive. But as we’ve moved past mere survival, these biases often work against us, getting in the way of true happiness and fulfillment.

The whole situation can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening. We want to make good decisions, and we try to, but rarely get the results we want. Sometimes, we spend years headed down one path only to realize that it’s not taking us where we want to go. Or, we might flip-flop between options so much that we never make any forward progress. We take a few steps in one direction, feel like it’s not working, then pivot and take a couple of steps in another direction.

It can feel like standing on one side of a deep chasm, able to see all that we want on the other side, but with no way to get there. Considering this, it’s no wonder that we may sometimes feel overwhelmed by decisions. That’s when fear seeps in. What if I make the wrong choice?

Paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong, we often make no choice at all. Which, by the way, is still a decision — one that guarantees we’ll stay stuck exactly where we are.

What’s an idea you share that really excites you?

Making good decisions comes down to a three-part process involving mindset, vision, and follow-through. Decision-making is a skill, and like any skill, you can get better at it with practice — with one big caveat: it has to be the right kind of practice.

For example, you could spend thousands of hours throwing a football, but if you spend all those hours using the wrong form, you’re never going to throw a perfect spiral. Similarly, if you want to become a better decision-maker, you can’t just make a bunch of decisions. To improve, you need to practice making decisions using the right strategies.

Before you can effectively make better decisions, you need the right mindset, and you need to understand your cognitive biases. You also need a clear vision for what you want. After all, if you don’t know where you’re going, how can you possibly expect to get there?

Then, when you make a deliberate decision, you need to follow through. If you’re human and old enough to be reading this, you’ve probably failed to follow through on at least one plan or commitment you’ve made in the past. We’ve all made choices that we didn’t stick with, even though we wanted to. So you also need strategies to turn your decisions into consistent action.

My book is a distillation of years of scientific research from many reputable sources into a practical guide for day-to-day use. It’s a bridge across the metaphorical chasm.

How will following your advice/suggestions improve your readers’ lives?

My goal for the book is to make the information people need accessible so that they can feel empowered in their decision-making. This book is meant to be a guide that people can refer back to again and again.

More than anything, I want to help people create real, long-term improvement in their lives. By the end of the book, decision-making will become an adventure for people instead of a threat.

When the reader is presented with a range of choices, they’ll feel excited instead of scared because they’ll have the knowledge, skills, and tools to navigate their way forward. Not only will they start making better decisions — they’ll enjoy the process and feel more comfortable creating the life of their dreams.

Once again, the good news is that we all have something better than destiny, which is the ability to make good decisions.