1. Try not to get analysis paralysis
You know the situation when you start to over-think the decision. You
spend far too much time weighing up the ifs, buts, and what-ifs. One
practical way to speed up all this is to set a deadline. You tell
yourself that you have to make a decision in half-an-hour’s time, or
slightly longer, if you prefer. This forces you to make a decision and
you avoid unnecessary procrastination.
2. Try to narrow down the issues
Write down what is making the decision so difficult. It may be that
things like lack of motivation, peer pressure, and parental
interference, are complicating the whole issue. Then spend some time
thinking about your goals. Finally, think about
all the consequences of whatever decision you will make.
3. Try to build in failure
We all make bad decisions. I can think back over my life and shudder
at all the wrong turns I took and some pretty bad decisions I made. But,
I was also able to learn from these. We should expect failure and learn
from it. Once you know that a bad decision is a real possibility, it
will help you
speed up the decision-making process.
4. Try to recognize your cognitive bias and allow yourself to process and accept other points of view
“Our brain accepts what the eyes see and our eye looks for whatever our brain wants.”- Daniel Gilbert
The way we see the world subjectively is known in psychology as a
cognitive bias. It affects our judgment and our decisions. This is very
well explained in Daniel Gilbert’s book,
Stumbling on Happiness.
This type of cognitive bias can take many forms. One example is known
as the confirmation bias. You may not be aware of it, but you are
attracted to people who have similar views to yours. You visit websites
and news sources which confirm your world view. The problem is that
while this is comforting, you often ignore and dismiss views which are
just as valid, but do not happen to fit in with your own tunnel vision
of the world. The Internet has made this problem even worse because it
is much easier to find larger quantities of people sharing our view,
which in turn, reinforces it. When we have to decide on something, we
are unaware of how much this confirmation bias is affecting our decision
making. Being aware of our limited world view and seeking other
opinions and experiences will help us to make more rational and less
subjective decisions.
5. Try to save time by allowing the experiences of others to be a
guideline as opposed to having to make your own mistakes repetitively
Before you buy a certain make of car, you may want to ask about someone who has bought the same model. The person’s opinion and
experience can save you time
in coming to a decision. If you have to make a decision about which
treatment option to take when you are ill, it is often helpful to seek
out personal experiences from those who have had the same treatment.
Researchers have shown
how useful this is in helping to make a decision although they warn
that it has to be balanced with factual information as well.
6. Try to match your decision with your core values
“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become
your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your
habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your
destiny.”- Mahatma Gandhi
In the corporate world, many companies are committed to
their core values
such as being accountable, responsible, and ready for innovation. But
how are these reflected in their business decisions? They will make sure
that they are socially and environmentally responsible. On a personal
level, this can help speed up your decision making, just as effectively.
You are committed to honesty, punctuality, openness, and loyalty when
selecting friends, partners, and business partners. Loyalty may be at
the top of your list. You will have to make decisions about helping
friends in need. You may have to defend them when they are criticized
unfairly. You would never repeat gossip about them. Making decisions
like these are easier because they match your core values. If you keep
these 6 steps in mind, you will be able to
spend less time on decision making and also be more relaxed about it.
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