Are You Indecisive? Here Are 6 Ways To Improve Decision-Making.
I’ve struggled with efficient decision-making and these methods have helped me become better at it!
Do you struggle with decision-making? I did, too.
I didn’t like being a child, even though I had a great childhood. I’ve always wanted to make my own decisions. But with more freedom comes more responsibility.
The consequence of any decision, small or big, is mine to face as an adult.
In my early twenties, as I started having to make more decisions alone, I started to feel decision paralysis. Every small decision felt like it needed validation from family or friends.
Once, I found myself contemplating for a couple of hours about what I felt like eating for dinner. That’s when I knew this had to change. The amount of wasted time and mind space decision-making takes is inversely proportional to productivity.
I didn’t know where to begin with change.
I had complicated smaller decision-making for myself to the extent that when it came to making bigger decisions, the time taken to make them was doubling and tripping. I lacked the confidence to back myself through a wrong decision. A misstep felt like a big deal.
But the first step to change is acceptance. I knew I had to change the way I made decisions.
It’s still work in progress for me, but here’s what’s helping me:
I’ve reduced asking for opinions
My life, my decisions, my consequences.
This is tough to practice, especially if you’re someone who is used to getting opinions from close family and friends. Ultimately, they are the ones who will help you through the good and the bad. So it’s natural to think about them as well.
But, I’ve realized more opinions equals more confusion. While everyone may have your best interests at heart, only you know what you truly want.
It may not be the right choice, but your heart will be restless if you suppress its own opinion against others’.
I practice making the smaller decisions quickly and alone
If you struggle to make small decisions, the lack of confidence compounds greatly for bigger ones.
I started realizing that the consequences of small decisions were not big. So the simplest thing to do is just pick any choice. If I make a mistake, I accept it and move on. If it’s right, then that’s great.
I can see the change it’s made within. I know myself better, and small decisions become quicker. The confidence starts compounding in a positive way for bigger decisions.
Clear my mind
I can’t make big decisions with a cluttered mind.
So, if there is a big decision, I focus first on drowning out the clutter in my mind. I spend much more time alone making a calculated choice, and then I feel better about my opinions. I can understand that it’s well thought out, and I have to back myself through it.
I also realize there’s no right or wrong; it’s just measuring consequences well enough and making sure I’ve considered all aspects of the decision.
Analyze my patterns
Sometimes, I look back at my decisions, major or minor, and I can recognize patterns.
This helps me understand myself and what I gravitate towards. I know what makes me feel good and bad in retrospect so that in the future I’m able to navigate better.
Though the nature of all decisions can vary and each should be looked at singularly, knowing who you are can reduce the decision-making time significantly.
I’ve started giving decisions time to breathe
The hardest part of making a decision is actually sticking to it and waiting it out to see the consequences.
Not all decisions have immediate consequences. Some show up weeks, months, and years later. I need to be able to start seeing the consequences to know if the decision was right for me. Waiting is hard, but it’s a good way to develop the patience muscle as well.
Very few decisions are irreversible, and it’s not too late to alter the course of action.
Listening to my gut
“Listen to your gut!” I’ve heard this statement multiple times.
But how do you read your gut feeling? How do you know what that is? I’ve learned to read my gut feeling through the sensations in my body when I think of a decision.
Assign the 2 choices to the heads and tails of a coin and flip it. Observe what happens when you get what you think you didn’t want. There’ll always be a slight bias that your body knows.
These are all easier said than done, especially when the decisions have high risks. But the only way to get better at them, I’ve realized, is to make them and make them myself. If I misstep, I know it’s a learning for me next time.
Making decisions efficiently is a highly important and undervalued skill. It takes time to build confidence, and it’s never too late to start.
