Life changing decisions

What is a decision?

A decision is a choice made with regards to a course of action to be taken after careful consideration of all available options.

Decisions range from small scale settlements such as choosing a fruit for desert to life changing commitments such as a contracts.

Whether negative or positive, the decisions we make shape the life we live. The state of anyone's life is a reflection of a decision made. It could be your own decision or the decision of someone else directly affecting your life.

Decision making

Decision making is a thought process of weighing out available options for a way forward. This may include gathering information such as the pros and cons of each route of action.

Sometimes decisions can very hard to make and 'not making a decision' may seem to be neutral. However, not making a decision is a decision on its own! 

You could choose not to vote during an election and assume 'neutrality'. In the end, your action (or lack of it) favours the candidate who already has the lead in the election. In the long run, the winner's victory will be accredited to your lack of participation in as much as credit is given to those that voted for that winning candidate.

Decision making is a responsibility everyone should accept despite how uncomfortable it may be at times. It is the first step to claiming authority and responsibility over your own life.

Listed below are some keys to remember when making a life changing decision.

6 Tips to making life changing decisions

Firstly, remember that;

1. Not making a decision is a decision on its own

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today - Abraham Lincoln

If you are not going to make your own decisions, someone will make it for you. Another person's decision will be the one to affect your life.

Take control over your life. Whether you make a positive or negative decision, learn from it and it will surely refine your decision making ability in the future. 

Above all making a decision is a stride towards self-responsibility.

2. Consult your future, not your present

Whenever you are about to make a life changing decision, do not focus on the present gains and benefits. Rather, look ahead, will you still be happy with that same choice after a year, two or five?

Some choices are only profitable for a short period but become burdensome with time. Never let the present gains lure you into a lifelong trap.

3. Never let your emotions make a decision on your behalf

Feelings cloud sound judgment. A depressed person is likely to make a decision that seeks only anti-depression even if it is the wrong choice at the time.

An angry person on the other hand will most likely make choices based on vengeance more than logic or achievement.This can lead to self destruction more than healing.

For example, someone can set alight his/her house whilst angry. A few hours later, when the adrenaline has died down and you are 'back to your senses,' was the decision a good one?

It is wise to free your mind of feelings such as anger, depression, vengeance, lust, pride etc whenever you are about to make a decision.

.....and the best way to do this is to:

4. Get some time to clear your head

Take some time to relax and sleep over a thought. Most of the times you will wake up with a different frame of mind as compared to the previous day.

It may take more than just a day, or maybe less. Most importantly, give yourself sufficient time to make an unbiased decision.

5. Make wise decisions

A wise decision   is better than a good decision

A good decision is any decision with a positive result. It is mainly based on logic.

Wisdom is more than just logic. It encompasses both insight and foresight. 

A decision may be good at the present time but a few months from now may be obsolete due to to the fast track evolution of this technological age.

6. Do not blame other people for your decisions, past or present

Let's admit it, not every decision will be spot-on perfect. How one responds to poor decisions can either build or cause stagnation. Blaming other people is an excuse that endorses stagnation.

Instead of shifting blame, make a decision to change and move forward.

Sometimes making the right decision is a matter of investigating the source of origin of the decision made. Luckily :) , below I have highlighted 3 of the major factors that influence decisions.
It may seem a like a  passive approach but but awareness of some of these factors can go a long way in the search for a right passage of action.

3 Factors that influence decisions 

1. Acquired information

Who could argue that deeper roots of knowledge are likely to produce better decisions?

This is why research is a critical aspect of decision making. It is wise to always make an enquiry nomatter the appeal of a choice.

An uninformed decision is as good as a gamble. You neither know nor have facts that support the decision and its sustainability is literally baseless. The more informed you are, the better the decisions you make.

Consider the world we live in today, those who know more dominate and are in charge of their fields. Some literally get paid just for knowing more!

Now, the thing is....do not just acquire whatever information you come across. You do not have to kiss every frog! Only a few can turn to princes.

This is why some people who are not extremely knowledgeable find themselves in sweet spots even before knowledge gurus make it. They acquired knowledge specifically on that which required to be known.

Know what you want, seek it and be diligent along that line of research. This way, you will find what you ought to know; And that is the magic key 

There are two forms of acquired knowledge:

That which you know and that which you ought to know.

If you assimilate all the knowledge in the world but leave out that which you ought to know the world will seem like an unfair place.

2. Association 

Friends and associates play a major role in decision making. Their words can be responsible for perception of available choices.

When making a decision, it is always better to incline towards constructive friends/ associates. This may not be the best time to hang around a pessimist whose sole target is to gun down any airplane that is about to take off.

Some people can literally freeze any positive energy. Big ideas can die at the very first consultation to a friend.

3. Pride

This can be a touchy subject and pride may nudge you to overlook this point (self justification). How ironic...

Sometimes one may say 'no' when deep inside they mean to say 'yes.'

Issues of pride are notoriously common with decisions that involve submission. You can not wake up CEO or manager. Rather take it as a learning curve and you are guaranteed to rise to that level.

The problem with pride is that it gives a brief and false sense of psychological victory to what is actually self defeat in the actual world.

I hope this will be helpful.

the truth you have read is waiting for one response...