Making big decisions

In this article you will learn the following

-27 Fundamentals about big-decision-making
-57 ways to become comfortable in taking tough-decisions and acting upon them
-10 Questions we need to ask when faced with a tough decision in life
-15 most difficult decisions sometime few of us need to make – in work and life

Making big decisions - 27 Fundamentals about big-decision-making

1.Whether you are the king, the president, the conglomerate chairperson, a housewife, a student, in a romantic relationship, a parent, a person running a business, or working or even an unemployed person – you have to make numerous decisions every-day.
2.Our comfort level and attitude* towards decision making and habit of decision making can create distinction in the quality of life we lead.
3.Not taking decision or avoiding making decisions – are also decision-making.
4.All the decision taken by us as well as forced on us - have long-term consequences.
5.Decision-making* is not only choosing an option – but also acting on it.
6.If we just decide but don't take any action – the decision making is not complete.
7.People who in spite of being uncertain, unsure and in unknown situations - take tough decisions and actions – are the ones who are more successful, happier, more satisfied, have less regrets etc.
8.Taking tough decisions constitutes risk-taking* and all risks have rewards, opportunities* as well as pains and solutions.
9.Some decisions have irreversible outcomes.
10. The decision could be as big as "shall we sell yahoo" [I am referring to the first time when they were offered a very large amount and they didn't sell anticipating a windfall later - and - later they had to sell after few years for much-much lower price]
11. Or a major one which makes you decide - which profession, career, course should you choose or whether to continue with the relationship.
12. Or the decision could be as small as what I should wear for the party or what should we have for dinner etc.
13. The magnitude of the type of decision-taken and acted upon – decides the impact and trajectory of our life.
14. Our human nature makes us filled with doubts in small decisions too -and - when it is a big decision we need to take - we feel anxious, insecure, and sometimes miserable.
15. There are people who can take big decision on behalf of others [like for their organizations] - yet they are at loss in taking decisions in their personal life.
16. Then sometimes the best decision [under the circumstances] delivers a bad outcome and in other situations a seemingly bad decision results in a wonderful outcome.
17. This is because we cannot see all the variables involved - let alone predict how they will all come together to determine future events
18. When we make a decision, we are merely deciding which path and direction to throw our energies, resources, focus and efforts.
19. No one makes perfect decisions 100% of the time - we date the wrong people, we stay in bad job, difficult-bosses, toxic-relationships longer than we should to we order the wrong food.
20. We have to understand that whenever we are in catch-22* situations - action will always have better outcomes [irrespective of whether we failed or succeeded in our attempts] - while inaction always have hidden dangers, losses and consequences that manifests later in our life.
21. When we delay taking a decision and acting on it - because we are scared of messing up, failing, making-mistakes - nothing changes in your situations[excepting only those situations that miraculously fizzle out].
22. We can never count on miracles - but when we are proactive – we are choosing to move ahead — and that's one of the best decisions you can make.
23. Why most people hate making decisions – it is because almost all of us over-complicate our situation, circumstances.
24. Much of our emotional strain during decision-making is really our own internal resistance to change vis-à-vis being in comfort-zone* - because we don't like the feeling of being out of control.
25. Unfortunately - the future is never within our complete control - we need to accept this reality to make your resistance and your emotional tension fade
26. But our fears of taking the wrong decision or the decision going wrong - may lead to a period of limbo - where nothing gets done and the issue in all probability would grow bigger and more damaging.
27. The art of decision-making is also the art of problem-solving*.

Additionally please also read another article of mine "ways to make decisions" in the blog section of success unlimited mantra.

15 most difficult decisions sometime few of us need to make – in work and life

1.Deciding who to terminate if layoffs become necessary for economic compulsion
2.Terminating well-meaning, but incompetent, team members
3.Deciding who to promote when you have several great candidates
4.Deciding when to let go of a relationship
5.Maybe for doctors and the kin of the patients – to continue the life of a person with sufferable pain of a person with terminal illness
6.Should I start this venture
7.Should I introduce a new product or service
8.Should I give this customer a discount or keep my prices premium
9.Should I partner with someone to help grow the business
10.Should I employ this person
11.Should I invest for future or enjoy today
12.Should I take a lease on an office
13.Should I expand and, or move overseas
14.Should I chose this person as life, business partner
15.Should I listen to what my heart says or act as per the experts

57 ways to become comfortable in taking tough-decisions and acting upon them

1.Accept the fact that you cannot see the future and therefore cannot make perfect decisions
2.Accept the fact that your decision could go wrong
3.Identify all the different-ways the situation can become worse – and then prepare for the same pro-actively - in advance on how to mitigate, should it go wrong
4.Understand that you cannot identify and control - all the variables that will determine how things turn out in the future.
5.Instead focus on those variables that matter the most to you and those within your area of control and influence*
6.Take full ownership of your decision -don't wait for others to give an approval +don't wait for consensus – because in complex decisions - a consensus may never happen and will create delays
7.Remember that we can only control our decision-making process and what actions we take and cannot control outcomes – accepting and realizing this can relieve a lot of stress and can make your creative intuition to work favorably for you
8.Identify what you know and what you do not know
9.Identify what information you have and what minimum information you need -to make informed guess or decision
10.But ensure that you don't get paralyzed with information overload - sort, sift, organize and with focused separate the crucial information that would help you
11.Identify what is the minimum level of outcome that you can live with
12.Identify what is negotiable [meaning all that you can give-up or live without] and what is absolutely minimal needed for you have win-win
13.Identify what resources you have
14.Identify what resources you need
15.Identify what you need to change with yourself – your beliefs, your pet-peeves, your assumptions, your perceptions - to see the picture from different angles
16.Set a date and time when you will make your final decision, and stick to it- when you decide in advance on a deadline for your final decision - your mind will respond automatically by gradually shutting down the never-ending stream of new things to consider.
17.You need to set a deadline is also to prevent yourself from missing important information - you do not want to make a rash decision impulsively before considering all the important variables.
18.If there is nothing else you can reasonably expect to discover – force yourself to make a decision right now and then sleep on it for twenty-four hours - if the decision still feels like the right one twenty-four hours later, then make it your final decision
19.If there are people you need to talk to - or questions you need to ask - make a time-bound plan to follow through on those things
20.Psychological research has literally found that our intuition guides us to make better decisions after our brains have time to sift through new data or new experiences unconsciously.
21.At times you will not be happy with any of the options you are thinking about - because they're not right for who you are.
22.At other times there could be two choices both of them would to make sense - like picking between taking summer courses or going backpacking right after graduation
23.Explore all the available options, alternatives, possibilities, choices - think long term
24.Evaluate all your options and make a pros and cons list
25.Pretend as if you are advising a friend
26.Weigh the cost of failure
27.Practice and exercise your decision making muscles – by regularly going for disrupting you habits, plans etc. To improve
28.Examine outcome and make adjustments
29.Don't choose something just because you are supposed to
30.Don't take decisions when you are under pressure
31.Don't take decision when you are feeling very elated either
32.Become assertive to avoid working as per other's directives
33.Consider whether or not you will be able to look proudly into the mirror after taking this decision
34.Meditate and listen to your instincts - meditate on how it affects balance within your life
35.Make mistakes and learn from them
36.Learn to handle your fears* - by taking decisions in the areas of your fears
37.If you find that you have to talk yourself into something to convince yourself - it is usually a bad decision
38.Contemplate options and select the one that you feel a sense of excitement for
39.Take a step back and try to stop thinking so much – focus on completing action – be committed
40.Determine if it's a one-way [no comeback] or two-way decision [can still change and impact the outcomes]
41.Accept that there is never a single right answer or solution
42.Learn when to give-up*
43.Learn and practice how to take risk*
44.Learn and practice how to bounce back from failures*
45.Learn how to handle your stress
46.Learn how to give your 100%*
47.Go with the flow – in some situations taking the path of least resistance is often the best option
48.Challenge your choices - you assumptions - your solutions and your experts who are guiding you
49.Ask for help from elsewhere
50.Consider the best-case scenario
51.Resist FOMO – the fear of missing out*
52.Use the prioritization* matrix of urgent-important AND focus only on - what is important but not urgent as number 1 priority and on what is urgent as well as important as only the emergency option
53.Choose your battles carefully - don't take battles which have no value-addition
54.Understand the problem* - rephrase the question and the problem
55.Learn to ask right questions* – because before you can make the right decision - you need to ask the right question
56.Limit the amount of information you take in
57.Learn to distinguish between an impulsive and intelligent decision-making*
58.Never take decision because you are feeling guilty – learn to let go of regrets
59. 10 Questions we need to ask when faced with a tough decision in life
I.Is this choice good for me
II.Is this choice good for my family
III.If I don't do this now - will I regret it
IV.What am I afraid of
V.What does my heart say
VI.What am I really doing this for
VII.Why I need to do it
VIII.Who am I really doing this for
IX.Will I like myself after this decision
X.Can I cope with the fall-out

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