Be it a routine matter or a high-stakes corporate affair, decisions are hard to make and even harder to stick by. When there are so many extraneous variables affecting the long-term sustenance value of your decision, it’s easy to find yourself in a constant loop of self-doubt and worry which significantly impacts not only the confidence you place in yourself but also the output you get from your actions.
Hence, we’re looking at some ways to help you take better, bolder and quicker calls which will add manifold value to your life.
Common mistakes
When asked about picking between adopting an intuitive versus emotional approach to taking tough calls, Mr Vivek Gupta, Director at Forexserve Risk Management Consultants shares, “It’s always got to be first intuitive for me, making it attractive enough to delve into the practical aspects of a particular decision-making process. Mostly too much analysis has always lead to paralysis in the sense that the entire exercise becomes self-defeating.” Often people fail to regulate their emotions while making decisions, when what’s actually required of them is to strike an optimal balance between reality and desire. It’s important for one to be aware of their personal biases and analyse the aftermath of their own past decisions to guide future choices as well.
Problem analysis
It’s always helpful to start by defining the situation at hand and making a plan in advance. Consider the areas with knowledge gaps to know where additional inputs are required and where you need to rely on your own better judgement. This approach along with setting deadlines helps limit procrastination and produces results in a shorter time span. While quick thinking and relying on your intuition may be helpful for smaller decisions, high-stake verdicts often require one to adopt a more nuanced approach. Similar situations tend to crop up in the future if undue emphasis is placed on the symptoms rather than the root cause of problems. To avoid this, evaluate the short-term and long-term costs and benefits of your predicaments before taking a final call.
Weighing choices
In order to make informed and objective decisions, limit your options by considering only a few possible alternatives at a time in order to avoid losing focus of what you are trying to accomplish. Prepare a list of pros and cons to help weigh your choices and make an accurate assessment of the risks and potential impacts of each choice. This, in turn, will help you evaluate the value of each choice. As Mr Vivek Gupta shares, “For me, it’s all about being comfortable about the ‘worst case scenario’ of my decision point. While most decisions are meant to be progressive and for betterment, if one is clear about the ‘what if’ scenario, if the decision goes wrong and one can live with it, then it becomes much easier to make decisions and take risks in life.”
Consulting others
Remember, not every decision that’s popular is the right one. When taking decisions for a team, avoid constantly relying on the lowest common denominator i.e. a choice that everyone’s comfortable with by compromising substantially on rather than something that your team is actually happy with. Take inputs and advice from the stakeholders involved and those impacted by your decisions’ outcomes but only from individuals who add genuine value to your thought process. By taking guidance from those closest to the outcome of your actions and giving them suitable credit for the same, you help create a sense of community and allow smoother implementation of your decisions with consistent understanding. Widen your circle of friends by interacting with people of all age groups. While older people make you more mindful and better at future planning, young individuals provide an opportunity to keep in touch with your initial aspirations, successes and failures.
Positive distraction
Taking a break from rigorous overthinking can sometimes be a positive additive to avoid decision fatigue. Regular exercise helps stimulate your brain and boosts energy levels significantly to help improve focus while taking tough calls. Revisiting sticky situations with a good night’s sleep and a clear mind can help put things in a fresh perspective. Getting some arts and culture activities into your life such as painting or pottery can help boost your everyday mood along with increasing your ability to concentrate. Besides adding something to your list of skills, getting into programming or brushing up on your language skills helps exercise different parts of your brain which indirectly adds to the quality of your decisions as well.
Trust yourself
“Your decision making can be deeply rooted in your values, your need at the moment and strong belief in your own intellect along with your realistic expectations. A confused person can fall prey to information overload and external noise,” shares Rasika Karkare, counselling psychologist and founder of Mind Voyage, an online therapy platform. No matter how many additional guidelines you adhere to, at the end of the day, it’s the faith and confidence you place in your own abilities that helps you see your decisions through. Take command of the situation at hand and claim responsibility for your choices. As Rasika adds, “It’s not the end of the world if you make one wrong decision. Don’t take pressure. You can always follow up and assess your decision. If it’s been helpful so far, great. If not, pivot. Not every decision will turn out to be perfect. That’s how we learn.”
Remember, good decision-making involves the right mix of head (information), heart (values) and gut (instincts) for maximal results.
