Decisions are never ending in every area of our lives. If we can get better at making decisions, then our whole lives will improve. So, try implementing these 3 tips.
Don’t dwell on small choices.
Spending too much time on little choices gives you less time to focus on the more essential tasks. Great decision makers must learn to recognize the difference between what Jeff Bezos has labeled as type 1 decisions and type 2 decisions.
Type 1 Decisions: Decisions that are irreversible and like one-way doors — if you make a decision and walk through one way, then you can never go back to the room you were in before.
Because of the irreversible nature of these decisions, Bezos says they should be made methodically, carefully, and with great deliberation and consultation.
Type 2 Decisions: Decisions that are reversible and like two-way doors — if you make a wrong choice, then you don’t have to live with the consequences of that decision for too long. Instead, you can simply reopen the door and choose another way out.
Given the inherent flexibility and low risk of these decisions, Bezos has suggested they should be made quickly delegate as much as possible.
Decide as much as you can in advance.
Making a decision before you’re actually in a specific scenario can help you save time, avoid being swayed by outside forces and stop you from being overwhelmed by the number of choices available.
For example, taking a shopping list when you go to the grocery store ensures you get everything you need and limits what you don’t. Planning your day before going to bed gives you direction and makes you less likely to fall into distraction.
So, use pre-commitments to plan ahead and make decision making easier.
Think of decisions as opportunities.
To decide is to choose one’s way. It’s to cut off alternative options and take a leap of faith. Therefore, many people fear decisions and their consequences but with a little change of mind they can be seen as opportunities. They’re opportunities to make a stand. They’re opportunities to go a different way and be someone new. So, be excited, not fearful.