What makes people successful decision-makers? Every decision involves some form of risk. If you’re not comfortable with risk, you may have difficulty making decisions. If you’re not sure if you’re somebody who has difficulty making decisions here’s a quiz for you: How long does it take you to find something to watch on Netflix?
If you have an inability to make sound decisions or a crippling anxiety when faced with risk, your life may be at a place that’s plain, lacking personal successes, and limiting overall potential. If you don’t want any regrets, we need to examine your decision making.
Are you lacking personal success because of difficulty or discomfort making decisions? Are you feeling like you aren’t achieving your highest potential because of indecisiveness? Do you crave a life free of regret? By focusing on the development of decisiveness, you may find resolution for these challenges.
You make subconscious decisions every minute of the day. Programming that was hard coded from earlier experience. You may make decisions based on others’ opinions which may have guided your decision making in the past. The personal discipline necessary to make satisfying decisions requires development to create healthier patterns and habits.
From deciding what to wear in the morning to deciding what goes on your plate for lunch, time can evaporate in the scrolling of news feeds, texts and scanning friends’ social media timelines. Flicking and swiping pics becomes a drain of your life’s limited opportunities to develop and demonstrate your potential. While your neck is tilted over glowing screens, days come and go. Are you unable to answer emails that require a simple decision like scheduling of a specific date and time for a meeting? Is it time to develop the habit of decision-making that values who you are, who you love, what you need to accomplish to pursue your life’s potential, and living your life instead of watching it?
Making good decisions is an art and, like most things, with a little intention and discipline, you can begin to make decisions for a more productive and healthier being.
The following essentials for decisiveness are pulled from Situation Reports located at the end of the Decisiveness Chapter from The Warrior’s Book of Virtues, by Nick Benas, Matt Bloom and Buzz Bryan.
- Make that uncomfortable decision you’ve been putting off. Do it now—decide! Build self-confidence by throwing yourself into new situations consistently in order to learn and grow.
- Take charge. Be assertive. Don’t wait for others to decide. Keep an eye on outside factors and variables beyond your control that might have an impact on your decisiveness. Let go of what you can’t control and focus on what you can.
- Make your decisions calculated and calm, but swift and final. Make your decisions swiftly in a calculated and calm manner. Enjoy your new ability to be comfortable with finality. The worst decision you can make is no decision at all. Remove any and all hesitation. Remember, slow is smooth, but smooth is fast.4
- Be cognizant of how your actions impact you or others in your care. This will save you time by preventing second-guessing down the road.
- Learn to cut through the clutter quickly. Try to slice through all the options presented to you when you go into any given situation.
- Start by tackling little goals, those that require an immediate decision; do not be paralyzed by the options. Then turn those little goals into bigger and better goals that help with your self-confidence and self-worth.
- Be a leader. When you’re out with a group of people and are faced with what to eat, be the one to take charge so you don’t continue to waste time. Everyone is looking for a way out in the hopes that someone will lead—be that decision maker.
- Celebrate your progress! Reflect on your progress throughout this transformation. Take note of how much more satisfaction you’re experiencing in living your life, achieving the heights of your potential, and creating increased positive impact in your sphere of influence. Then pass along these vital lessons for personal wellbeing to those who are what you once were.