How to make decisions faster? Blog on Decision Making & How to improve Decision Making.

 



Let me ask you a question first. Do you struggle in decision making on day to day basis, not only in your profession but your personal life as well? Then this is the blog that will help you in improving your decision-making ability.


 

Just take a guess, how many decisions do we make each day? 5? 10? maybe 100?


Research has shown that the typical person makes about 2,000 decisions every waking hour (sourced from : Psychology today). Most decisions are minor and we make them instinctively or automatically. Such as deciding on whether to have tea or coffee in the morning, oats or cereals for breakfast, should I start my scooter by self-start or by kick ? etc. 


These are all the small decisions that we make daily but don't even care about noticing or spending time on making it. While on the other end many of the decisions we make throughout the day take real thought and have some consequences, that is where we should be able to make right decisions faster.



 

Below are some steps you can follow to improve your decision making and take faster decisions.

 


1. Determine the importance of the decision. Importance as in how much impact will that decision make in your life. i.e. Is it a decision of wearing a black shirt or a white shirt today, or is it a career choice decision! No, I am not saying any of the above decision is unimportant but it has a different magnitude of effect on your life. It's upon us whether spending 10 mins over choosing a shirt colour is worth the decision fatigue it might cause.




 

2. Limit your choices – Is having a lot of options a boon or bane?! It might feel like a boon at first as you get the power to select from many available choices out there, but choice overload can cause us to delay making decisions as considering the many options available to select, utilizes our cognitive systems significantly. Not only does this make the experience feel more draining but it also makes us more likely to choose nothing.




2a. One way to limit your choices is to do your research. Take some time out to browse. Try being neutral i.e., don’t have any bias upfront when you start your research on your choices. Consider it as window shopping, where you don’t commit to buying anything but just checking your options. You might as well take help from others as they could have some experience which might come in handy. This way you will have more information on your choices without utilizing your cognitive resources much.

 




2b. Listen to your intuitions – Making decisions based on Intuitions is when you make a decision without any analytical reasoning. It is through emotions and insights based on experiences or other factors. In short call it ‘Gut feeling’. It's when you know something is just right for you or when something is not meant for you. 
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3. Own your decisions - How many times has it happened with you that you regret after making your decisions even when you gave your 100% before finalizing your decisions? 


I don’t know about you but I have felt it most of the time even deep down inside I knew it is the right decision.


To avoid this feeling, think your decisions to be non-reversible that you cannot undo. Commit to one decision and never think about reversing it (even though they could be). Own your decisions! This is the most important step of all.


Doing this will not only save your time and energy but will also give you confidence in making decisions faster going forward.


“Once the decision is made, do not look back, do not second guess your decisions.” Muhammad Ali

 


 

4. What if my decision turned out to be wrong? – Well, it gave you experience, didn’t it? Recall my last point – Own your decisions! 

We can not always make right decisions but owning it will indeed help us make good decisions in long run



Here is a very nice quote from APJ Abdul Kalam.

 




Lastly,  just like any other skill, it takes time to master this skill as well. The thing with us is that we fear a lot taking decisions and if we take any, we regret after that. When we start to regret our own decisions we end up losing confidence in ourselves and this, in turn, doesn't help us at all in improving our skill of taking decisions.


One sure short thing we all can start doing is to take ownership of our decisions. However it may turn out to be, a good or a bad decision, let us own it and learn from it. This is the least we can do.


Hope you liked this read! Don't forget to leave a comment (You already scrolled down and read this one to the end, might as well leave a comment 😜)


Read, Comment & Share. See you in the next one.


10 comments:

  1. It's a nice information and very much helpful to take decision

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  2. This will definitely going to be helpful in current situation.(I was stuck between two decisions but after reading this now I am ready to go ahead without fear of taking wrong step).
    Thanks!

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  3. Very useful article. Great going Ankit...m

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  4. Nice & useful content, it seems like read whole book on decision making just in a couple of minutes.

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  5. I was needed this blog for myself and u wrote it... Thnq very much @ankitpoddar for this great decision making blog... Will definitely going to try it out..

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  6. It's very useful blog for our daily life...Thanks.

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  8. The article on "How to Make Decisions Faster" by Subtle Thinks provides valuable insights into the decision-making process. The author highlights the importance of being decisive and making quick decisions, without compromising on the quality of the outcome. The article suggests various strategies that can be employed to expedite the decision-making process, such as setting deadlines, analyzing the pros and cons, and seeking feedback from others.One of the key takeaways from the article is the importance of having a clear understanding of the decision to be made and its potential impact. By breaking down complex decisions into smaller, manageable tasks, individuals can make informed decisions quickly and confidently. Cognitive behavioral therapy Overall, this article is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their decision-making skills and make better choices in both their personal and professional lives.

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