Making decisions can be extremely difficult. After all, there are many different aspects to consider in the process. What decision will make you happy? What if one of them ruins your life? How can you see things clearly in this confusing moment? Always making the right decision is a great challenge.

These are 8 ways to make the right decision

Everyone wants to make the right decisions constantly. But is that possible? To tell the truth, it is not. Nobody is perfect. But you can still sharpen your decision-making skills so that you can make the best possible options in the most reliable way at the time.

Stay calm to make better decisions

We often make impulsive decisions when we feel less calm. At this point, you may feel anxious, frustrated, stressed, pressured, or angry. These emotions are not the best for making good decisions . Before making a decision, you should first try to calm yourself.

These are very good relaxing exercises that you can do to regain your positive thinking:

  • Go for a walk
  • Listen to music
  • Exercise yourself
  • To write a diary
  • To meditate
  • Play with pets

Free yourself from negative thoughts and feelings

Negative emotions can be very detrimental to making smart decisions . Acting on them can lead to choices that are not logical or rational, and can cause you to make decisions that prevent you from improving and moving forward. Some emotions that you should eradicate are:

Handle despair

When you are desperate, you will walk away with practically any possible solution on impulse. It is important to keep your thinking positive. Yes, it can sometimes seem like the world is ending, but remember that it is not really ending! There is a good solution, and you can find it.

Do not be afraid

When you are afraid, you can make decisions that seem safer to you. This can prevent progress and can keep you stuck. You should take some time to consider the reality of the situation, be brave, and overcome your fears.

Free yourself from guilt

Many people make decisions out of guilt . They may feel like they have to make a decision due to external pressure. Ultimately, this will cause you to make a decision that you will regret later just to make someone else happy.

Wait until you have a more positive thought, and don’t let anyone trip you up with a choice you’re not 100% sure of.

Be patient

If you feel like you need to make a decision right away, then you can make quick, impulsive decisions that aren’t well thought out. Impatience will practically always cause terrible choices.

Collect information

It is important that you stay informed before making any kind of decision. If you don’t have all the information, you can’t make a choice that is definitely the best for you. Here’s how you can collect information:

Research

If your decision could benefit from doing some research, do so. Go online and search for all kinds of things.

Do you have to choose between which apartment to move? Research tenant opinions, what’s nearby, how long your commute will take, and more.

Do you have to decide whether to start your own business? Find out what is needed in this process, how much funds you will need, what the market is like, and how the legal process works.

No matter what your decision is, the internet is your friend. There you have all the information you possibly need to know, at your fingertips.

make questions

If a person requires you to make a decision, don’t be afraid to ask them questions. Don’t be embarrassed to want more information from them. Someone who wants you to choose something should have no problem with you wanting to make an informed decision in a positive way.

Ask for opinions

Confused about what decision to make? Talk to someone you can trust and ask for their opinion. Friends, family, colleagues, or anyone else you can trust are all available options. But don’t get too many opinions at once, or else you might get even more confused!

You can also search for other people who have had to make similar decisions before or are knowledgeable in the related area that your options lie in. Online communities will likely have many experienced people, many of whom will be happy to help you!

Do not rush

We have already talked about how impatience causes us to make poor decisions. If you want to make positive decisions, you need to make sure you don’t rush. Here are some extra tips:

Take your time

You need time to weigh your options. Pause, reflect on possible decisions, think about your reactions to them, and breathe. If you are required to make a choice immediately, ask for more time to deliberate if possible.

Sleep and reconsider later

Sleep is a fantastic restorer of the ability to think. After thinking you’ve made your choice, sleep and see if you feel the same in the morning.

Let time order your thoughts

Many people have their best ideas when they don’t focus too much on having them. Consider your options, then let them go for a bit. Distract yourself with other things. Let the space between your thoughts grow. You never know, the real solution may come to you when you least expect it!

Find the arguments for each option

Play to be your own lawyer. Try to argue for the other side of the decision. If what you’re saying suddenly starts to make sense, you may need to reconsider your position. This is a very common form of decision-making that is used by academics that has a positive impact on your thought process!

Organize your thoughts

The thoughts that plague your head when you have to make a big decision can be very disorganized. It is important to organize them before choosing. Here are some ways to do it:

List your options

What are all the options you have? Make a list of all of them in an organized way. That way, you can objectively see what your options are without getting all your thoughts tangled up.

List the results

Now that you know your options, list the possible outcomes of these decisions as well. This will help you see which options will have the best long-term results.

Make a list of pros and cons

Still having trouble making the final decision? Write the pros and cons of each one. Some cons can be a deal breaker and some pros can be too good to let go!

Speaks

If all else has failed, speak up. You don’t even have to talk to someone else, it can be yourself! Talking out loud to make sense of your confusion can do wonders for unraveling thoughts.

Make a decision that leaves your conscience clear

Your decision should not have a negative weight on your conscience. Your choices must align with your personal code of morality and ethics. Here’s how to make sure you make the right decision about this:

Think about the people it will affect

Will your decision affect other people? Yes, you ultimately have the final say on the decisions that will change your life, but you may also want to consider how these choices affect those who matter to you.

Stay true to yourself

What is important for you? Do you value family? The ambition? Social justice? Monetary gain? The law? Whatever it is, let that value guide your decision.

Don’t make decisions to hurt others

Sure, you can get a little joy out of your success by unintentionally making someone who has been cruel to you jealous or hurt. But that shouldn’t be your main reason. Also, the best option is to move forward with kindness and forgiveness.

Trust your instincts

It pays to trust your intuition and instincts. If all else fails, remember your first impressions. These are usually indicative of your most intimate preferences. Of course, don’t go into something so directly, but if you really can’t determine which decision is the best, your instincts are a safe bet.

Basically, try not to overthink things. Those who make decisions based on feelings when they have to, may end up having more positive feelings towards the resulting decision. Take a moment to reflect and get in tune with what you really want.

In fact, the better you make decisions, the more intuition you’ll have right from the start. So keep practicing! Soon, your instincts will be extremely reliable.

Dr. Eric Jackson

By Dr. Eric Jackson

Dr. Eric Jackson provides primary Internal Medicine care for men and women and treats patients with bone and mineral diseases, diabetes, heart conditions, and other chronic illnesses. He is a Washington University Bone Health Program physician and is a certified Bone Densitometrist. Dr. Avery is consistently recognized in "The Best Doctors in America" list.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *