5 Decision-Making Methods To Make Your Life Easier

by Yanik Silver

Whenever I’ve had a decision weighing on my mind, it’s kept nagging at me. But when I finally made the hard call, it was never as bad as I had worked it up to be.

In fact, I’ve found that the longer you chew on it, the worse it gets.

I believe that most of our ‘tough’ decisions aren’t really so tough. But the longer it takes for us to get off the fence and take action, the more we magnify them in our own heads.

With that in mind, here are five simple things to try when you are having trouble making a decision:

5 decision-making methods to make your life easier

Decision-Making Method #1: Think about the worst-case scenario

What is the worst possible thing that can happen if you make the wrong decision? It almost certainly won't happen - but even if it does, you can probably live with it. When I was torturing myself about leaving my father’s business, for example, I had wild thoughts of my father disowning me. Of course, he didn't do that. He may have been disappointed, but he didn't flip out.

Decision-Making Method #2: Listen to your gut

This is huge! Don't try to rationalize your way out of making the decision. You've got good instincts. Take advantage of them.

Decision-Making Method #3: Give yourself a deadline

If you give yourself an indefinite amount of time to decide on a course of action, you'll never do it. Not to mention, you'll drive yourself crazy! Think of yourself as the high- powered CEO of your own life - an executive who MUST make decisions quickly.

Decision-Making Method #4: Visualize your ideal outcome

This is an exercise I learned from my friend John Harricharan. He calls it the ‘Power Pause’. It takes three minutes - one minute to think about what you want to happen... one minute to think about how good you'll feel when it does happen... and one minute to calm yourself down by thinking about what you are already grateful for in your life.

Decision-Making Method #5: The Band-Aid solution

You know how painful it can be to pull off a bandage (especially for those of us who are kind of hairy)? Well, the secret is to pull it off quickly. Nothing is worse than paralysis by analysis. You'll never have all the information you need to make the perfect decision. Do the best you can with what you've got. Then move on.

And here's a bonus tip: When all else fails, flip a coin. Believe it or not, that's how I decided the time had come for me to propose to my wife!