10 Things to Consider When Making A Hard Decision

1. Pretend you’re giving advice to a friend. Try removing yourself from the situation and look at it from an exterior angle. Pictured the type of questions I’d ask, thought about the various risks I might mention, and even came up with a few things to research about different locations. Doing this will help you think better and make a better informed decision.

2. Accept that there is no right or wrong. You can do all your research, dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s and there just is no right answer. Learn to live with it and move on.

3.Prepare yourself. Some situations lead us to making decisions. Anticipating this would make it you less anxious when the time comes. You will then approach the task with a ready mind.

4. Be accepting. Not all things we decide on end up the way we want them to. The point is to not beat yourself up over it. Sometimes even after you’ve taken all the right steps and thought everything through carefully, things don’t go your way. It’s okay to be disappointed but never blame yourself.

5.Limit the amount of information you take in. To avoid confusing yourself any further with options. The last thing you want is to decide on the options before making the decision. That would just add to the stress of it all. The second thing is to avoid getting too many opinions on a matter. Everyone sees things in their own way, the more people you discuss your dilemma with, the harder the decision will be. Outlining what you value will lead you in the right direction. More thinking is not always better thinking.

6. Take responsibility. Some situations are a result of our own actions. You need to own up to your mistakes and find a way to fix them. Avoid procrastinating because it will be the cause of your down fall. Instead of putting it off for later or tomorrow, do it now then there’s less stress for later.

7. Trust your intuition. Learn to differentiate between impulse and intuition. Impulse focuses more on the emotional need, where as intuition is about is about the perception or impression. We all know that making a decision in an emotional state is always a mistake. Think things through. Decide with your head and not your heart.

8. Think further than now. At face value some decisions look favourable to the current situation but a few months later may work against you. Always consider the pros and cons and weigh them against each other in the present and in the future.

9. Consult people who have been in the same situation. This is okay to do, but also consider the small differences in your situation. We lead different lives, and what worked for your mother in 1997 may not work for you now. The advice may help but don’t only rely on another person’s experience.

10. When the decision has been made, implement, learn from it and plan the next move.