We have to make decisions all the time: what to make for breakfast, what route to take, where to live, and what profession to pursue. If the choice concerns our whole life or our future, we can postpone the decision indefinitely for fear of making a mistake. Let’s talk about principles and techniques that make the decision-making process easier and help you make a choice in a particular situation. Or you are choosing an IviBet login and cannot decide if it should be fun or easy.
General Principles
Treat the Choice With Ease
We find it difficult to make a decision if we take it too seriously, fearing possible responsibility or repercussions. Philosopher Ruth Chan, who teaches decision-making principles, says that to get rid of this fear, we need to realize that difficult choices are not necessarily about the most important moments in life. Choosing what to eat for breakfast is just as difficult as deciding what direction to take in college.
For example, you have oatmeal or a chocolate donut. The former is healthier, and the latter is tastier. There is no obvious solution, so it’s a tough choice. However, you deal with these choices every day, which means you are capable of making more serious choices if you stop being afraid and worried about responsibility or consequences.
Build on Values
When making decisions, it isn’t enough to focus on objective categories that can be weighed, evaluated, and measured. It’s equally important to consider your values and desires. For example, you can’t decide whether you want to be an artist or a lawyer. You like to paint, but everyone says you can’t make a living at it, but being a lawyer is a highly paid and prestigious profession. If only that mattered, the choice would be obvious, but usually it isn’t. Consider your inner feelings, what you like, and what suits you better. If it’s important for you to express yourself, create beautiful things peacefully, being a lawyer will bring you money, but it won’t make you happy.
Trust Your Intuition
Sometimes both alternatives seem exactly the same, with the pros and cons of each decision balancing each other out. In this case, try trusting your intuition. Intuition is not a mystical gift, but the ability of our brain to make decisions bypassing consciousness, analyzing even those facts that elude it. If you can’t make a choice, listen to yourself. What sensations arise in your body when you think about a particular option: tension or relaxation? Visualize in detail how your life will change after you make your choice. What emotions does this picture evoke: pleasure, joy, doubt, or anxiety? Choose an option that doesn’t cause psychological or physical discomfort.
Don’t Delegate Responsibility to Others
The more experience you have with making decisions for yourself, the easier it is. Even if your age still allows you to delegate decisions to teachers or parents, don’t be tempted to do so. Consult with adults, gather different opinions, but make the final choice yourself, weighing all the pros and cons.
Techniques for Quick Decision-Making
If you need to make a decision urgently, can’t listen to yourself, and don’t have time to analyze it in detail, use simple techniques to make your choice easier.
7 Breaths
It’s a Samurai technique: they took seven breaths to make a decision. Take seven deep breaths while thinking about the problem. If you can’t decide what to do, it’s not the right time to make a decision, or there isn’t enough information to evaluate all the factors.
10/10/10 (10 Minutes, 10 Months, 10 Years)
Estimate how important an option will be to you in 10 minutes, 10 months, or 10 years. Looking at the problem from this distance will help you calm down and make the right decision.
The Most Unfortunate Option
Choose the most unfortunate option from the list and cross it off. Do the same with the remaining alternatives. In the end, you will be left with the decision that is best for you right now.
Don’t be afraid to practice making decisions, and you’ll realize that it’s not that hard. Whichever option you choose, it’s up to you to decide if it was right or wrong. And even if it wasn’t, don’t worry because mistakes can always be corrected.