You are the result of your decisions
5 decision-making techniques for personal and professional growth
Did you know that the average adult makes about 35.000 decisions each day? Yes - whether you are aware of it or not, your brain keeps weighing options and making decisions that shape your day and your life. Remember the words of the famous thinker Albert Camus: "Life is the sum of all your choices." Some decisions have the capacity to take your life into unimagined directions, while others might only serve to keep you stuck in the same old routine.
In this post, we'll take a deep dive into the five keys to powerful decision-making that will enable you to be the one who is in control of your life and designing the future you desire. Be making decisions that will either have you shift or change careers altogether, leave home or cross the country, or order dinner. These tips will bring you clarity and confidence in decision making. Let's begin!
1. Get clear about your goal and your intention
Okay, you can't get what you want until you know what you want. That might sound obvious, but you'd be shocked to know how many people skip this part. In fact, it's probably a lot more important than you think: research has emerged indicating that it's something like 90% more likely for you to hit your goal if you've set very clear and specific objectives for that goal. Take the time to clearly define what you want to do and why you want to do it. Is your goal success in the profession you have chosen, marital bliss, or financial independence? Knowing your "why," then, serves not merely as a bearing for your path, per se, but rather as an anchor in those moments when assurance feels elusive.
Ask yourself: What do I really want? Why do I really want it? How will I or life be with this achieved goal? The concreter your answer is to this, the easier it will be to make decisions in alignment with what you actually want.
2. Check the basics
Once you've assessed what's at stake, it's time to read up. This requires a look at the fundamentals—your resources, your knowledge and skills, and other factors that might determine the outcome. Do you need to acquire new resources and skills? To make a decision without first reviewing the basis is like building a house without a blueprint. Research indicates that careful decision makers tend to be more successful decision makers. There is a quote from the well-renown author, motivational speaker and organizational consultant that sums it all up quite well: “It’s better to go slow in the right direction that to go fast in the wrong direction”.
3. Challenge the constraints and think big and different
Most of us are our own worst critics. We set limitations on ourselves that do not truly exist. But what if you challenged those constraints? What if you allowed yourself to think big, bold, and different? Research has shown that creativity and unconventional thinking can lead to breakthrough decisions and successes. Don't be afraid to question the status quo and explore options that may seem outside the box.
So instead of, “What can I do with what I have?” it has to be, “What could I do if there were absolutely no limitations?” This mental shift of focus will just open many more opportunities and, more often than not, quite easily reveal innovative solutions that wouldn't have been considered otherwise.
4. Reduce the clutter
Our world is overloaded with information and distractions. Decision-making loves simplicity. You have to clear out the clutter—both in your head and around you. As revealed in a research conducted by the University of California, cluttered surroundings poses negative effects on the ability of the mind to focus and process information (Saxbe & Repetti, 2010). So, clean up your desk. Step away. Take a walk in nature. Put your phone on airplane mode. Clear your mind so you can think clearly.
When you step back from the noise, you give your mind space to actually work through the decision-making process the way it was designed to. This not only runs smoother; it also ensures more deliberate and effective decisions.
5. Take action to produce desired results
Bottom line: a decision without an associated action is near worthless. Execution is the bridge between a good idea and a successful outcome. Studies have shown that people who act immediately on their decisions have a better chance of reaching their goals (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). Make a strong commitment to follow up your decision with action once you have decided. Develop a plan, a timeline, and begin to move on the implementation of your decision—no matter how small these steps may be.
After all, execution does not have to be perfect. What matters most is that you’re moving forward. As the old saying goes, "Done is better than perfect – because perfect never gets done." So take that first step today!
FINAL THOUGHTS
You are indeed the result of your decisions. From the easiest to the most difficult, all decisions make up life. Set out to give clear objectives, run the basics, wrestle your constraints, clean your clutter, and execute decisions to set your life in the direction you really want to go. And for the record, there is no perfect decision. It is all about making thoughtful, deliberate decisions that align with your values and aspirations.
So, what will be your decision for today?