Are you an indecisive person? Do you tend to consult everyone you know before making up your mind about something and still find yourself unable to commit to one option? Decision-making isn’t always easy, but it is necessary. The tips below can help you become more decisive.
The Default Option
There’s a tricky fact of life embedded in the decision-making process, which is that refusing to make up your mind one way or the other is a decision in and of itself. If you don’t know whether you want to stay at a job or in a relationship, you default to the status quo, and nothing ever changes unless you’re forced. Reminding yourself of this fact can help you change how you approach this process.
Research
Sometimes, it’s hard to decide because you simply don’t have the necessary information. Talking to others who are more knowledgeable or doing some research on your own can give you the tools you need to know what you should do next. You may have a big or medium-sized expense that you need to cover, and you might be wondering what the best way to cover the financial aspect is. A personal loan is one option, but you need to understand the pros and cons of such a loan so that you’ll know whether it’s right for you.
Stop Researching
Just as it can be easy to fall into default, it can also be easy to research endlessly, telling yourself you’re just seeking a few more pieces of information before you move forward. Knowing how to master your emotions and when to stop is just as important as gathering data in the first place. If necessary, set a deadline for yourself.
Consider Your Values
This won’t be the case with every decision you have to make, but in some cases, carefully thinking about your values can help guide you. What really matters to you? Be sure to identify your values, which may not necessarily be those of the people around you. It can also be helpful to draw up a pro and con list of each decision.
If this doesn’t help, you might want to consider assigning a numeric value to the pros and cons. Another technique can involve flipping a coin or rolling dice; deciding that heads up means you’ll go one way, and the opposite means the other and then seeing how you feel when the result actually appears can be revealing. The coin may say one thing, but your gut instinct may strongly prefer the other.
Talking and Journaling
If none of the above approaches works, another option is discussing what you should do with friends or writing about it. This is another situation where you run the risk of spending too much time debating what you should do, so again, you should set a deadline. However, this approach can also be revealing in a positive way, throwing up additional considerations you might not have thought of.
