The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision. – Maimonides
Making decisions is a complicated skill. There are always things to consider and the consequences might not be obvious for weeks, months, or years, when it’s hard to connect our decision to the impact it had. This is clear and common, but some people might feel too worried about their choices and experience a constant sense of indecision. Others may experience that dreadful emotion when faced with difficult choices with a high impact. But what can you do to make decisions easier? Let’s explore a set of guidelines that will help you simplify the process.
Narrow the options
One of the first problems with decisions is that we have an endless amount of choices. Imagine yourself scrolling through a streaming platform. Should you watch this action comedy or that romantic drama? Should you start a show or just a movie?
The first step is to narrow your options. Consider some way to trim them down and focus only on the remaining choices. When you reduce your choices, you are better able to look deeply into them and find an optimal solution, be it for what you are going to study or what show you will be watching next.
Take time but set a deadline
Being pressured into a decision is often a red flag. When someone won’t give you time, they might be too interested in you making a bad choice. So, it’s important to defend your time to make a decision. Don’t rush too much to do it. Instead, ask for more time, and give yourself permission to think about things.
On the other hand, some people will agonize endlessly over a decision if not limited in some way. If you know yourself to be the type to think, overthink, and ruminate, set a deadline for yourself. To make it more effective, tell someone about the deadline and stick to it.
Talk things through
A good rule for decisions is to try and talk things through with other people. However, it’s important to find someone you can trust. You don’t want to go to people who always discourage you but also not those who will cheer blindly on every option. You know who you can trust with different decisions in your life.
If you don’t feel good talking things through with anyone, it can help to write your thoughts down or even talk them out loud and record on your phone. Tell your worries to your pet, favorite coffee mug, or rubber duck. Being able to say and speak what concerns you will help you a lot with making the right decision.
Remember that nothing is permanent
Something that keeps us in the dread of indecision is the feeling that whatever decision we make, it will apply forever! We can’t get it wrong or else… This mindset can make us terrified of making decisions, so it’s useful to reduce this feeling of dooming ourselves when we commit.
Remember that you can always change your mind and pursue something else. Very few things in life are truly permanent and forever. Sure, it can be difficult to change course, but usually it’s not impossible. For smaller things, it’s even easier. So give yourself permission to change your mind later if what you chose doesn’t works out.
Use an aid for a random choice
One of the classic options to help you make a decision is using something random. Flip a coin or use a random numbers generator. This will help you identify how you feel with a particular option. If you feel relief or satisfaction when the coin comes up tails, then you know that you are more drawn to that choice. On the other hand, if it comes up heads and you feel disappointed, then it’s a signal for you to pursue the other option.
You might decide to commit to the random choice but it can also serve you better as a tool for clarifying your feelings. Seeing the coin land and recognizing whether it feels good or not is a great option when you have been overthinking things too much.
