How to Make Difficult Life Decisions With Greater Self-Awareness - Ella Taylor
There is nothing as scary as making a big life decision. The stakes are high, the time might be limited, and the consequences might seem horrible. However, this kind of thinking can be detrimental for your health, mental state, and the decision you are trying to make.
Great expectations, past experiences, and even other people’s opinions can make it even harder for you to come to a decision. Fortunately, there are ways to manage this kind of pressure and start making better decisions, no matter how big the question is or how great your self-awareness is.
Why Make Decisions Difficult?
The answer is simple - your expectations are what makes any decision easy or hard. If you feel like the stakes are too high, you’ll probably postpone making the decision. Another thing that could make the decision hard is having two or more options that you feel weigh the same.
The third most common option that makes decision making hard is if the potential decision brings unhelpful memories and fears. When a situation reminds you of something disappointing or hurtful in the past, it’s natural to procrastinate reaching a decision.
Avoiding Decisions
Speaking of procrastination, this may seem like an easy road to take. However, even not making a certain decision is a decision in itself. When you don’t choose one of the options, the choice is actually being made for you.
Most often, you will lose the chance to make a choice, and the circumstances will do the decision-making for you. On the other hand, you may cause yourself even more harm by doing nothing, as waiting for the decision could be painful.
Do Some Introspection
How can you make better decisions? Firstly, you’ll have to spend some time with introspection. Identifying the parts of yourself that want different things would be the perfect first step.
It is normal that different options seem appealing to you, considering that you have multiple parts that wish for different things. Perhaps the best way to identify these parts is to journal or, at least, write down all your values and desires.
Distance Yourself from the Issue or Decision
When you are under a lot of pressure, one thing that will make the situation worse is adding to that pressure. This is exactly what you do when you start obsessing over a decision or an issue. That is why it’s essential to create some distance from it in order to look at it better.
Even when looking at a picture, you sometimes have to step away to see it better. The same applies to decision making processes. Whenever you can, try to gain a new perspective and make life easier for yourself.
Think Outside the Box
One particularly interesting thing about inability to make a decision is that sometimes all your options might feel terribly limiting. If that is the case, try thinking harder - maybe there is an option you still haven’t discovered.
One of the best ways to think outside the box is to think like a child. Try coming into a problem or a question with no preconceived notions and look at the way your mind discovers completely new ways to deal with issues.
Pay Attention to Your Objectives
Identifying different parts of yourself is crucial for defining your values, that are, then, important for setting your objectives. When you have a strong sense of self, it’s easier to make decisions that align with who you are as a person.
Not only that, but knowing what you want to achieve will immediately steer you and your decision in the right way.
Compare Various Options
Being a little methodical will never hurt. While it’s not great to over-rationalise anything, approaching your decision making in a scientific way could help. For instance, when deciding on where to get scoliosis surgery in Australia, consider everything from symptoms and treatment options to benefits and risks should be taken into account.
Make sure to methodically assess all of your possible options and then compare them. Weighing them against each other will be a perfect way to eliminate those that don’t fit your idea and narrow the choice down as much as possible.
Listen to Your Gut
Even if your mind is sometimes not sure, your body will know what the right option is. By practicing mindfulness and meditating, you may be able to start listening to your inner voice more.
Intuition is a strong force that will most often tell you whether you are right about something or not. Make sure to carefully listen and figure out what your body tells you to achieve only the best.
Start Making Micro-Decisions
A good way to start is by making micro-decisions instead of trying to fix something major early on. For instance, you want to buy an apartment, but you’re not sure how much you want to spend on it.
Try breaking this into smaller decisions. For starters, decide on the potential location of the apartment. Then, figure out the size of the ideal apartment for yourself. Consider whether you will be living alone, with a partner, or some roommates. Combining all of these smaller decisions will allow you to set a realistic budget and decide on the sum you are willing to spend on your future place.
Handle the Pressure
Finally, don’t give in to pressure; find ways to handle it. For instance, giving yourself enough space to think or focusing on the things you can control are great ways to keep a calm head.
You should also be able to not expect a perfect outcome and you could create a deadline to further reduce the pressure.
Conclusion
Decision making is a skill that takes time to learn. However, with these simple tricks, you’ll be able to reach your decisions in a much more efficient and effective way than ever before.
Great expectations, past experiences, and even other people’s opinions can make it even harder for you to come to a decision. Fortunately, there are ways to manage this kind of pressure and start making better decisions, no matter how big the question is or how great your self-awareness is.
Why Make Decisions Difficult?
The answer is simple - your expectations are what makes any decision easy or hard. If you feel like the stakes are too high, you’ll probably postpone making the decision. Another thing that could make the decision hard is having two or more options that you feel weigh the same.
The third most common option that makes decision making hard is if the potential decision brings unhelpful memories and fears. When a situation reminds you of something disappointing or hurtful in the past, it’s natural to procrastinate reaching a decision.
Avoiding Decisions
Speaking of procrastination, this may seem like an easy road to take. However, even not making a certain decision is a decision in itself. When you don’t choose one of the options, the choice is actually being made for you.
Most often, you will lose the chance to make a choice, and the circumstances will do the decision-making for you. On the other hand, you may cause yourself even more harm by doing nothing, as waiting for the decision could be painful.
Do Some Introspection
How can you make better decisions? Firstly, you’ll have to spend some time with introspection. Identifying the parts of yourself that want different things would be the perfect first step.
It is normal that different options seem appealing to you, considering that you have multiple parts that wish for different things. Perhaps the best way to identify these parts is to journal or, at least, write down all your values and desires.
Distance Yourself from the Issue or Decision
When you are under a lot of pressure, one thing that will make the situation worse is adding to that pressure. This is exactly what you do when you start obsessing over a decision or an issue. That is why it’s essential to create some distance from it in order to look at it better.
Even when looking at a picture, you sometimes have to step away to see it better. The same applies to decision making processes. Whenever you can, try to gain a new perspective and make life easier for yourself.
Think Outside the Box
One particularly interesting thing about inability to make a decision is that sometimes all your options might feel terribly limiting. If that is the case, try thinking harder - maybe there is an option you still haven’t discovered.
One of the best ways to think outside the box is to think like a child. Try coming into a problem or a question with no preconceived notions and look at the way your mind discovers completely new ways to deal with issues.
Pay Attention to Your Objectives
Identifying different parts of yourself is crucial for defining your values, that are, then, important for setting your objectives. When you have a strong sense of self, it’s easier to make decisions that align with who you are as a person.
Not only that, but knowing what you want to achieve will immediately steer you and your decision in the right way.
Compare Various Options
Being a little methodical will never hurt. While it’s not great to over-rationalise anything, approaching your decision making in a scientific way could help. For instance, when deciding on where to get scoliosis surgery in Australia, consider everything from symptoms and treatment options to benefits and risks should be taken into account.
Make sure to methodically assess all of your possible options and then compare them. Weighing them against each other will be a perfect way to eliminate those that don’t fit your idea and narrow the choice down as much as possible.
Listen to Your Gut
Even if your mind is sometimes not sure, your body will know what the right option is. By practicing mindfulness and meditating, you may be able to start listening to your inner voice more.
Intuition is a strong force that will most often tell you whether you are right about something or not. Make sure to carefully listen and figure out what your body tells you to achieve only the best.
Start Making Micro-Decisions
A good way to start is by making micro-decisions instead of trying to fix something major early on. For instance, you want to buy an apartment, but you’re not sure how much you want to spend on it.
Try breaking this into smaller decisions. For starters, decide on the potential location of the apartment. Then, figure out the size of the ideal apartment for yourself. Consider whether you will be living alone, with a partner, or some roommates. Combining all of these smaller decisions will allow you to set a realistic budget and decide on the sum you are willing to spend on your future place.
Handle the Pressure
Finally, don’t give in to pressure; find ways to handle it. For instance, giving yourself enough space to think or focusing on the things you can control are great ways to keep a calm head.
You should also be able to not expect a perfect outcome and you could create a deadline to further reduce the pressure.
Conclusion
Decision making is a skill that takes time to learn. However, with these simple tricks, you’ll be able to reach your decisions in a much more efficient and effective way than ever before.
