How To Make Better Decisions In Life And At Work

how to make better decisions in teams

Updates: 07/11/2024

The one thing that everyone on the planet has in common is the undeniable fact that most of us made regrettable decisions. Making right decisions is an important skill that needs to be built like any other. Here, we cover effective steps on how to make better decisions without effort. See all below!

The one thing that everyone on the planet has in common is the undeniable fact that most of us made regrettable decisions. Making right decisions is an important skill that needs to be built like any other. Here, we cover effective steps on how to make better decisions in life and at work without effort. See all below!

How To Make Better Decisions In Life And At Work – Top 25 Tips

1. List Your Options

how to make better decisions bbcJudgment is not a good idea in first point of decision making process. Just make a list containing all of your options, regardless of how ridiculous you feel they are. Let your subconscious mind freely come up with some new ideas of your own.

2. Identify Your Goals

In fact, those people who are not self-reflective tend to make bad decisions as they do not actually know what they really want in the first place. For example, you need to make a decision regarding to switching jobs. So, before you switch jobs, just ask yourself: “Do I actually want a different career? Or, do I just want to get rid of current boss? Yet, keep in mind that you should not make decisions based on the wrong issue. See: steps to define life goals.

3. Eradicate Choices By Setting Standards

The next step is to think about each option you have just listed down in the first step. Then ask yourself that do you really want to do this. After that, imagine the outcomes. Set some standards to remove steadily unsuitable options. For instance, if you are going to buy a car, then list the features you will surely use. Any car that has them will be good enough for you, and ignore anything fancier.

4. Pay Attention To Biases 

how to make better decisions in basketballBiases can cause smart people to make dumb decisions. For instance, people tend to hate to lose more than to win; thus, this will lead to the behavior like holding on a tanking stock rather than accepting a loss. As we often memorize the vivid examples better than facts. That can explain why we impress plane crashes much more than statistic on air safety. In reality, keep these biases in your mind can help you think clearly.

5. Create A Constructive Environment

In order to create a constructive environment, people should:

  • Agree on the process: that means you should know how the last decision will be made, containing whether it is going to be an individual or a team-based decision.
  • Allow opinions to be heard: if this is a decision which is made by a group of people, then encouraging participants to contribute to the discussions, debates, and analysis is necessary.  As you realize the goal, then you can make sound decisions under the circumstances. It is not a common game where people are competing to make their own opinions adopted.

If you want to learn more about how to make better decisions, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work is the best guide you should read.

6. Stop Seeking Perfection

Many great leaders might prefer a task or project be delivered just 80% complete several hours early than 100% complete a few minutes late. So, do not wait for things to be perfect. Rather than seeking the impossible, you tend to leap without accomplished answers and believe that they can build their wings on the way down. Learn how to avoid becoming a perfectionist effectively here if you want to improve your life quality fast. 

7. Do Not Rush

People tend to make unreasonable choices when they are getting stressed or in bad mood. When dealing with a complicated decision, just make use of your conscious brain for gathering the essential information and then take a break. After that, you can take a walk and spend time on meditating. Then, take a nap. The idea is giving your unconscious mind time to do its own work. Thereby, the decision you make will be more likely to be sound.

8. Turn Off Your Brain

This seems to be opposite to the above tip on how to make better decisions. Yet, it has its own role. Insight comes when you least expect it. For instance, suddenly, you remember the name of an actor that you think you forget. When making decisions, by simply turning off your mind for just a moment, you can give your brain the chance to scan its data bank for detailed information that is already stored. In order to make good decisions, you need to boost your brain function and strengthen your memory power right from now.

9. Stop Being Problem Solver, Just A Decision Maker 

A decision could resolve an issue, yet not every issue could be dealt by making a decision. Actually, decision making may rely more on intuition than analysis. For example, deciding between vendors need to examine historical data, prices and references. Yet, the tipping point usually rests with your own gut.

10. Go With Your Gut

Believing in your initial or gut feelings can bring a magical manner of working out. A research pointed out that when presented with an option of two cars to purchase, the group who got better car made decision based on their first impression compare with the rest group based on detailed information about each of cars. In other words, those people who go with their own gut might make better decisions related to things happening in the future, containing the weather, elections, and stock market.

11. The 2 Minute Rule

how to make better decisions reviewThis tip on how to make better decisions is to force action through a self-imposed deadline. Whenever you have to make a certain decision, you can set a timer and start the decision making process. Thanks to the limited time, so you can rapidly assess the advantages as well as disadvantages while still fast coming to the final decision. If you are slow at making decisions, then this tip could be your life saver. It is not necessary to make a decision within 2 minutes, you could modify it from 2 to 5 if you find it works well for you.

12. Think Black And White

Actually, there are many times when people have different choices than they need. Normally, excess of anything could lead to analysis paralysis. In this case, you have better judge the choices simply good or bad, which will boost the process and remove less optimal decisions. In fact, this tip will be great for those who are over-analyzers and insist on asking questions.

13. Concentrate On The Present

If you continually see how your next decisions will impact your future, you might be overwhelmed with that picture. That is because you are trying to observe every step along with each consequence. Nevertheless, it is good for you if you can save that energy to deal with current task. Live in the current moment and make a decision based on things making the next step. This practice will be useful for the chronic non-decision maker.

If you want to learn more about how to make better decisions, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work is the best guide you should read.

14. Beware Of The Idea Of Failure

how to make better decisions download

We tend to hesitate to make decisions as we fear that decision will lead to bad results. So, we question every facet involved in that decision. However, this can lead to the potential risk of making no decision as we are wasting our time as well as energy on useless questions. Hence, we had better see delaying the decision as worse as making a bad decision. In reality, bad decisions could be recovered and learned from, yet not making decisions means that we do not have anything to consider. A fear of failure also means that other people will make the decisions for us.

15. Make Pitfalls Early And Small

In the decision making process, it is great for you to fail small and early rather than launching a main initiative. Therefore, take small steps and watching out the process often are essential. Usually, you could deal or project the risk of an option by taking small steps and properly confirming that you are currently heading in the right direction.

16. Take Action

how to make better decisions guideMake the decision review about good things you have just completed and tabulate what options brings you the most positive results and physical gut reaction. These facts will lead you to the best option. Keep in mind that the greatest choice is not the perfect choice as there is no perfect choice. Check out: simple tips to get things done and methods to avoid procrastination.

17. Do A Postgame Analysis

After making each decision, you should ask yourself how you felt afterward and what experience you could apply in the future.  This will encourage you to continue to validate positive results, and define what you need to do to maintain forward momentum.

18. Do Not Regret

Other decisions might have worked just as well, yet you have to be optimistic about the one you have made. No matter what you expected your decision will create, just congratulate yourself that you made the best decision possible with the data you had available to you at the time.  Remember that where you are today is based on the decisions you made in the past. Your tomorrow is based on the decisions you make today. Smart people develop routines — that way, they eliminate stress and conserve energy for important decisions

 

19. Eliminate Stress & Conserve Energy

eliminate stress & conserve energy

You sometimes use your willpower as a defense to stop you from disaster and you conserve that willpower by forming effective routines for reducing stress at work and in life.

You can use your self-control to avoid stress and it gives you enough time to complete a project. Like a reader who reads and comments on an article earlier, he can activate his brain power for great ideas and big decisions before a fatigue sets in.

If you want to learn more about how to make better decisions, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work is the best guide you should read.

20. Find Quiet – Be Still & Listen find quiet – be still & listen

A mistake that people usually make is listening to many other people, so they don’t have their own decision. The essential rule they need to learn is to find quiet, call higher consciousness that fits their situation.

Quietness often goes with peaceful place, so do not get involved in chaotic and stressful situation, follow your inner voice, take time, take solitude and space to have right choices.

If possible, take deep breaks to evaluate the fact before you make a decision.

21. Take Glucose For Boosting Your Brain Power

Physically, the brain needs more glucose to help you have concentration and make good decisions. For this reason, don’t let your brain in the hunger of glucose. Eat snacks or anything sweet to increase your glucose levels fast at noon or in the afternoon before a meal.

Recommended reading: Genius Brain Power

22. Accept The Truth accept the truth

An effective way to make a good decision is telling the truth. Never say something wrong and make sure that every word coming from your mouth is totally true, or using exact words to describe your estimation such as may be, probably, perhaps and not sure and so on. In other words, you need to be honest and follow honesty policy for right decision and then you won’t regret about the wrong things you’ve done.

According to Rogers, telling the truth that is easier to remember. If you like this point of view, practice it right!

23. Learn To Say “No”

Why you should learn to say “No”? Simply, this is a way to be decisive. With a quick decision, Yes or No, you won’t waste your time at work. Then, you just need to follow your decision, protect your ideas, and get successful in your own way.

24. Overcome Procrastination overcome procrastination

Like stress, procrastination can stop you making right decisions at work. In fact, there are different situations you have to face up with in life and being decisive is not easy. Sometimes we postpone important decisions. You may get obsessed or scared of using the phrase “have to”. You seem to bear something heavy related to your survival or something like that. Instead of that, don’t you change your mind, change your thought for more comfortable decisions. For instance, you can say “I choose” instead of “I have to” or “I must”.

25. Consider It A Test
Your brain is not isolated. It is hard-wired to work in social situations with peers. The brain upshot is that you devote energy and time to work in groups and maintain your status. Think that you are going to have a decision and you will pay more attention for the best decision. Write down to know why you made that decision by thinking this is a real exam. You are handing it and if you don’t try your best, you won’t have another chance.

So, take time to make good ones so that you can start creating a better life with ease.

See: quick ways to improve self confidence.

The above tips on how to make better decisions in life and at work hopefully can help you improve your decision making techniques. If you are interested in this How To Make Better Decisions article, leave your comments at the end of this post to let us know what you think. We will answer all soon!

If you want to learn more about how to make better decisions, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work is the best guide you should read.

Want More Content Like This In Your Inbox?

Join The Discussion

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Comments JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Advertising Disclosure

Displayed content is offered by businesses which have been compensated. There is a potential effect on how, what, and where products may appear. All effort is made into providing full transparency, not all available products or companies are highlighted. Published material is offered without any slant or bias no matter what affiliation there is with sponsorship or association.