{"id":1244,"date":"2018-09-08T14:19:48","date_gmt":"2018-09-08T14:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?p=1244"},"modified":"2021-09-19T17:09:18","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T17:09:18","slug":"how-to-make-the-right-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/how-to-make-the-right-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make the Right Decision (Like a Boss)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The big D word.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes they\u2019re big and other times they\u2019re small.<\/span><\/p>\n

They can either make you feel like a legend or transform you into a sweaty mess.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahhh decisions. Like Marmite, you either love \u2018em or hate \u2018em.<\/span><\/p>\n

After all, they can be quite the conundrum, the slippery old eels.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact is, decisions constitute a huge part of our lives, so learning some of their dark secrets makes sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still with me? Ok, let\u2019s dive in.<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cRight\u201d Decision Fallacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The fact is, we decision-phobes (yes, I reluctantly include myself in this category) are often little perfectionists, thinking we must make a decision that yields the \u201cbest\u201d outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outcomes, however, are arbitrary and subjective, not to mention frequently beyond our control.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Shakespeare (possibly) once said, <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing is either good or bad, only thinking makes it so\u201d. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The clever old sausage.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, outcomes should be regarded with caution. What may be perceived good by one person may be interpreted as terrible by another.<\/span><\/p>\n

You must have experienced this in your own life. When you\u2019re at a group meal and suddenly, your normally mild-mannered friend acts like a deranged lunatic, a hanger-beast emerging from their dark soul.<\/span><\/p>\n

While everyone else, despite facing the same situation, is completely fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

This very subjectivity of outcomes should act as reassurance that there\u2019s never a \u201cright\u201d decision or \u201cbest\u201d outcome. They\u2019re simply actions and situations, to be reframed however you like. You can choose.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if outcomes are somewhat unreliable as decision benchmarks, the most important factor for someone struggling to make decisions is just to reach them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because until you\u2019ve reached a definitive outcome, you\u2019re simply in limbo, treading water.<\/span><\/p>\n

We could go even further and argue that a subjectively \u201cbad\u201d outcome is better than no outcome. <\/span><\/p>\n

Only when you\u2019ve reached a destination can you get feedback, arming you with more information to alter your actions moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the worst case scenario? Even if you have made a terrible decision, at least you\u2019re improving your decision-making skill.<\/span><\/p>\n

So happy days.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Way to Make Better Decisions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Life\u2019s a numbers game. <\/span><\/p>\n

Only with repetition can we ever hope to learn and improve. Much like when you\u2019re starting to learn the piano you\u2019re not expecting to be a little Beethoven, a shoddy decision-maker shouldn\u2019t expect to nail every one.<\/span><\/p>\n

That only comes with practice. <\/span><\/p>\n

An interesting anecdotal study emphasising this point was performed by a pottery teacher who graded his class using two distinct methods. <\/span><\/p>\n

Half the class were assessed on the weight of clay used to make their pots while the other half were judged solely on their final piece of pottery submitted for review.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, when evaluating the best pots of both groups, the students graded on their weight of clay had created significantly better pots, demonstrating the necessity of sheer repetition and consistency to yield improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

And you needn\u2019t be a budding potter to see this principle in action elsewhere. Mistakes can be made in every area of our lives, which is simply how we learn.<\/span><\/p>\n

By face-planting every now and again, we create a feedback loop to influence our future behaviour.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if anything, making decisions that don\u2019t quite go to plan should be<\/em> your plan, a sign you\u2019re moving in the right direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

For some reason, when making art or playing music, we\u2019re comfortable with this notion of graded improvement through failure, whereas in contrast, we expect to have an inherited aptitude for decision-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact is, decision-making is a skill like any other.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while refinement is important for a skilled practitioner, beginners should aim solely for practised repetition.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Types of Decisions to Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So as a beginner decision-maker, what\u2019s the first step?<\/span><\/p>\n

To differentiate between the big, scary, spider-like decisions and the smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me when confronted with an eight-legged arachnid, this should be an easy step. We all know the big hairy decisions that can dictate the course of our lives, bringing us out in a cold sweat\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving to a new city, changing careers or settling with a partner; seismic shifts in our lives that naturally require due consideration.<\/span><\/p>\n

For that very reason, they\u2019re a decision-phobes worst nightmare.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s the solution?<\/span><\/p>\n

Mini decisions\u2026ones that won\u2019t irrevocably alter your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Start small, and not only can you practice decision-making as a skill, but also gain confidence and momentum, helping you adopt the decision-making mindset.<\/span><\/p>\n

Much like using fake money to learn the intricacies of stock market investment, starting with inconsequential decisions allows you to strengthen your decision-making muscle in a safe environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Firstly then, identify the mini-decisions you struggle with\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n