Decision Making: A Guide Towards Excellent Choices

Aren’t we all afraid of the decision-making process? Yet, there’s no other option than to face its fear.

The situation becomes even worse when it comes to the point of making some big choices. The choices of career, life decisions, or be it anything that directly affects our lives.
We have multiple options, yet, we have to choose only one of them.
The fear of making a wrong decision and the regret that would follow makes our minds go crazy.

You would have experienced the same situation at some point in your life for sure.

So, Did you make the right decision? Are you confident in your decision-making skills?

If not, then let’s work together on it.

Forget about any regret or any wrong decision that you made in the past. Let’s go through the guide together and make your decisions better than ever.

What is Decision Making?

Decision making, in simple words, is choosing the right option in a situation when there are multiple options.
It is similar to the condition of standing in front of three diverging roads, with each of them leading to different destinations. All the ends have dissimilar results, and taking the wrong one could lead to a lifetime of regret.

A person with excellent decision making qualities often ends up on the right route and the right destination. These people have leadership qualities and stand apart from the crowd.

How Society Creates A Huge Impact On Our Decisions

Accept it or not, society has a significant part when it comes to the point of making decisions. We are subconsciously concerned about what other people might think of us. We sometimes look at decisions the way society accepts it.

As Jay Shetty Said:-

I am not what I think I am. I am not what you think I am.

I am what I think you think I am.

It means that we live in the perception of others and not how we really want to live.

The best example of societal impact is the decision of careers. Most people opt for the profession that society certifies, not the one they truly want to follow.

I’ll ask you the same question:-“Are you really doing what you love? Do you love Mondays, or is it the Sunday that you long for?”

If the answer is no, isn’t it the society that made you do what you don’t love?
Just take a few moments and ask yourself:- “Did you make the right decision, and are you happy about it?”

The Most Useful Decision Making Process

Now, let’s work on how you make the decisions. Here are the steps you can follow to get the best results. They work brilliantly for me in the toughest of situations and will surely help you too.

Step 1: Stay calm

The first step is to stop panicking whenever you have to make a big decision. Just calm your mind as everything will go well. The truth is that it is yet another situation that will fly away soon. Small or big, it doesn’t matter.

Step 2: Have faith

The next step is to have self-confidence. You have already made it so far in life, and you have made a lot of excellent decisions before. Why do you even doubt yourself? You can choose the best decision and you will.
Trust yourself, and you will make the best decision of your life.

Step 3: Analyze the situation

Step 3 is to return to the situation with full focus. Now you have to examine the situation deeply, what it is, and how it’s supposed to be solved.

Step 4: Think of all the possibilities.

Further, Think of all the possibilities and the alternatives that you currently have.
Visualize the pros and cons of all the options. Implement changes in the possibilities according to your needs and desires.
Finally, think of the outcomes of all the options.

Step 5: Eliminate

Step 5 is to reduce the number of options that you have. Try to filter out all those options which you feel are the most irrelevant and undesirable. They are just confusing you in your decision-making process.

Step 6: Choose the best option

Now, Most of the options are out of your mind.
The next step is to choose the option that you feel is the most appropriate. Opt for the one that feels the best, most desirable, and the one you’ll never regret.

Step 7: Did you make the decision, or is it someone else?

Ask yourself the following question before finalizing your decision: “Were you influenced a lot by others, or is it you who wants to make that decision?”
I am not saying that it’s wrong to listen to others. Sometimes, what people suggest comes out to be a superb choice when it comes to decision-making.
Just make sure that you are not compromising your desires only to satisfy others.

Step 8: Review the decision that you made

During this stage, you have to review your decision one last time. Think about any final changes to be made or any suggestions to seek.

Step 9: Engage

It is the final and the most necessary step. Stop overthinking and go on with your decision. Take the required action and stay positive as everything will turn out to be much better than you expected.

3 Best Methods For Making Smarter Decisions

This section will include some of the most useful methods from some of the most renowned books that will help you in making faster decisions and that too, with ease.

1. SWOT Analysis Method For Quick Decision Making

Swot Analysis is a method that could be highly useful for the right decision making.
The method involves making decisions by dividing the situation into four quadrants; Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threats (SWOT).

How to apply the SWOT analysis method?

It is better to understand the SWOT analysis with the help of an example.

Consider that you want to buy a restaurant. Further, the location is a steal deal on a busy road with low prices. Still, you lack the money and don’t know what to do.

Now what you have to do is divide it into four quadrants.

• The first quadrant will be the one in which you have to list out all the Strengths. For example, your management skills are excellent, and people love your secret recipes.
• The second quadrant will be having all the weaknesses. For example, you do not have a good cook.
• Now comes the third quadrant, which will be having the opportunities that you have. For example, in this case, we have a great location at a low price.
• The fourth or the last quadrant will have all the threats that are present. For example, you do not have enough money to afford the shop or afford a good cook. Also, some other buyer will purchase the shop if you do not grab the deal soon.

Further, what you have to do is to decide on every problem quadrant by quadrant.
In this case, your strengths are the one that confirms that you will have to open the restaurant. Further, a partnership with a good investor will help you to purchase the shop and afford a good cook.

The problems are now solved, and you are good to go!

2. The Triangle Model

According to the triangle model, everything could never be perfect.

How does the Triangle model help?
The key points to learn from the triangle method for better decision making are as follows:-

• Don’t wait for everything to be perfect.
• Try to make the decisions based upon the things that matter the most.

3. Eisenhower Matrix Model for Accurate Decision Making

The US president Eisenhower coined this method. The method is most useful whenever you are unable to decide what to do and what not to do.

How to apply the Eisenhower Matrix Model?
To apply this method, draw a graph in which the X-axis depicts the importance, and Y-axis depicts the Urgency. Further, prepare a to-do list, including everything you need to do. Now, divide it into four categories:-

• Less urgent and less important: Category for the do it later section of your tasks.
• Important, but less urgent: You have to plan about when you can carry out the work under this category.
• Urgent, but less important: Try to hand over the work under this category to someone else.
• Urgent and most important: Immediately complete the tasks under this category.

There Is Nothing Known As The Dead-End

This scenario is only in the case if your decision goes wrong or went wrong in the past. There is no need to worry as we all are humans, and we might commit mistakes sometimes.
If you made a wrong decision, learn from it, and move on. There is no need to feel guilty or regret. Try to understand that it was your past, but you don’t have to spoil your future.
Sooner or later, you will realize that the decision you thought wrong was actually right.

Things will get better only and only when you dare to fight.

Parting Thoughts

In the end, don’t be afraid to make decisions. Trust yourself, and even if anything goes wrong, keep your heads high and turn the direction of the wind into your favor.
Don’t be afraid of society and do what you feel is best.

Here are the keynotes of the decision-making process:-

1. Stay calm and try not to panic.
2. Trust yourself.
3. Carefully analyze and evaluate the situation in front of you.
4. List down all the options.
5. Eliminate the most irrelevant options. Lower choices mean easier decision-making.
6. Choose the best option among the remaining options.
7. Are you the one who really made the decision, or were you too much influenced?
8. Review your choice
9. Engage

Further listed are the methods which I find most useful:-

• SWOT Analysis Method
• Triangle Model
• Eisenhower Matrix Model

I trust you, and I am with you. You are capable of making the right decisions, and you will.

Make sure to let me know if it helped. I’ll be glad to hear it!

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