“Where do you want to go for lunch?”
“I don’t know. Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know. Wherever you want.”
“I don’t care.”
This conversation happens too often.
If you can’t make simple decisions, how are you going to make the tough ones?
Too Much Time Not Making Decisions
Making a decision about where to go to lunch, or what to wear, or what to do tonight, should be easy. Yet, you probably spend way too much time coming up with simple answers to these questions.
The truth is there are very few decisions in our day-to-day lives that warrant extended time and thought. For those few life-altering choices, it may warrant some reflection, evaluation, and thought. (Where to live, whom to have a relationship with, etc.)
For the rest, make your choice and then own it.
Decision-making is a skill that needs to be developed the same as any other. Instead of wavering in “should, could, and would,” make a decision and then act on it.
Make Your Choices
If you don’t make decisions, then by default you are making a choice to be driftwood in life. You will end up wherever the world decides to take you, not necessarily where you want to end up.
“Choose to choose. And then own your choices.” (Tweet Quote)
Here are a few tips to help you spend less time making decisions and more time owning them:
- Make Them – There are very few decisions in life that are earth-shattering. Make your choice and do not waste time endlessly mulling non-important issues.
- Enjoy Them – Often, there is no such thing as a bad decision, only a bad attitude. After you have made a decision, choose to enjoy it even if it does not turn out exactly as you expected.
- Abide By and Own Them – You made the choice, now live with it. If it turns out to create more work for you, so be it. Deal with it. Take responsibility for it, and live with it.
- Learn From Them – If you are unhappy with your decision, learn from it. Decision making is a skill. You can make better choices next time.
Own Your Decisions
Making choices should be an enjoyable part of your day.
From the simple ones to the hard decisions, your choices are the one thing you control in life.
Spend less time making decisions and more time owning those decisions.
Question: What decisions do you spend too much time making? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Great article! I certainly have a problem with decisions :/
I think there is a Theodore Roosevelt quote that says the best decision is the right decision, the second best is the wrong decision, and the worst is no decision. So often in life we default to no decision. I use my planner (http://www.apolloplanner.com/) to make sure that I’m owning the most important decision which is what to do with my time.
Making decisions is critical in running the business. To help save time analyzing data, I use a mapping software (Mapline) that helps me understand my data, and the connections between my customers, clients, and competitors. A map visualization helps in speeding up analysis, thereby making informed decision-making in half the time.
Hey there!
Good points put there. Basically you are teaching people how to be brave. 🙂 Always a good thing. But risk tends to bring out cowardice. “What if I fail? What if the success isn’t enough?” Too many what-ifs. I believe people should focus on the important things and re-think their choices before they lunge forward.
Great article, invokes lots of thoughts!
Cheers from http://www.mrrubbishcroydon.co.uk/