To jump out of bed when the alarm goes off or to hit the snooze? To drink my coffee black or add some cream and sugar? To check my email or wait a few moments in silence? To shower or use dry shampoo? To wear a dress today or shorts? And these are all in the first few minutes up waking. According to google, several sources say we make 35,000 decisions A DAY. I know?! It seems absurd. Google it if you don’t believe me! Yes, some decisions aren’t such a big deal, but what about the ones that are? The ones that will affect you in a profound way such as a change of job, having a baby, or moving across the country. Do you struggle when it comes to decision making? Below are seven decision making strategies in no particular order.
- Rational: What are the pros/cons of this decision? Make a list.
- Intuitive: What does your natural instinct tell you is right?
- Spiritual: What is God speaking to you about this? What decision best aligns with your faith & values?
- Counsel: What does your spouse say? Your leader? Your mentor? Bring people that you trust and ask them for their wisdom and council. The key on this one is not bringing too many people in on the decision or it can lead to further confusion.
- Relational: Who is going to be affected by your decision? Who will benefit? Who will hurt?
- Risk/Reward: What is the payoff for each option? What is the risk? Can you live with the worst-case scenario outcome?
- Negative Drives: What fears are impacting your decision? How can you remove those so you can make a decision that is not fear-based?
So what decision are you facing? I encourage you to try one or two or all of these approaches to help you make the best decision. Take your time, you should not feel rushed. Write it down. For me this comes easy but for others it’s a lot harder to write it down. Even having it in your phone OR speaking a voice memo to yourself will help process the thoughts in your head, getting them out there, which will bring greater clarity to making the best decision.
Does decision making come easy to you? How do you make decisions? I would love to hear from you.
Some of this material has been taking from Tony Stoltzfus book Coaching Questions, which I can’t recommend enough.