7 Effective Decision Making Steps

7 Effective Decision Making Steps

Have you ever struggled with making decisions? Although decisions are a part of life, they can sometimes become overwhelming when faced with different options. These can involve your career, relationships, significant purchases, or even a life-changing decision like relocating.

This article will discuss seven effective decision-making steps to help you make decisions with clarity and confidence.

Here is a summary of the steps we will discuss:

  1. Know your core values
  2. Seek wise counsel
  3. Weigh your options
  4. Develop an action plan
  5. Avoid finalizing a decision when you are tired
  6. Trust yourself
  7. Evaluate your results

A man holding his hands together while thinking

1. Know your core values

Ensuring it aligns with your core values is always a good idea for any decision. This is your conscience talking to you. If a decision does not feel right or some red flags are causing you doubt, you can slow down and ask yourself a few questions.

  • How important is this to me?  
  • Who else is impacted by this?
  • If this involves other individuals, what is their input? Will this be a joint decision?
  • How will this decision affect me?
  • Have I faced a decision like this before?
  • Does this feel right?

These are just a few examples of asking yourself preliminary questions to understand how you feel internally about an upcoming decision. If it does not match your core values, it may be time to move on or get some help to make a wise decision.

2. Seek wise counsel

When seeking help, turn to someone you trust who can be neutral in giving sound advice. For example, if you are going to make a significant purchase, such as a house, you may want to seek the help of a realtor who works for you with your best interest in mind.

If it involves a relationship, such as a marriage, you may want to involve a therapist or marriage counselor.

Of course, there may be other situations, such as selecting a college to attend, buying a car, or choosing a career where you can talk to a friend, family member, or someone with experience that can help you understand your options.

3. Weigh your options

Once you have had a chance to discuss your options, this would be a good time to write them down.

Use a notepad or poster board to jot down the pros and cons of your decision. Ask questions such as:

  • How does this benefit you?
  • What is the worst-case scenario if this does not work out?
  • What is the consequence of your decision?
  • Are there any alternatives to consider?

Discovering that the cons outweigh the pros may help you determine whether to move forward or wait.

A desk with scattered papers and a cell phone on top while the person is taking notes.

4. Develop an action plan

If you have decided that the pros outweigh the cons, it is time to develop an action plan. Use this to outline the process you will use to finalize your decision.

This involves establishing a series of steps and timelines for when this will be completed. First, determine if this is this something that will take place immediately, over days, weeks, or months.

For example, if this involves choosing a college or relocating to another state, you want to give yourself time to sort out the details involved in getting from start to finish.

Write down as many steps as necessary to help you approach your plan efficiently and effectively so that you are not under much stress as you proceed.

5. Avoid finalizing a decision when you are tired

Now that your action plan is underway and ready to finalize your decision, take a step back and look at your accomplishments.   Do you have a clear path to complete your decision? If so, continue to move forward.

However, if you feel tired or need more time to make that final decision, give yourself time to rest. It does not hurt to wait a day or sleep on it overnight before finalizing everything.

The benefit of being rested is that you can have a clear head in taking the final step in your decision.

6. Trust yourself

After your decision has been made and you have done all the research to implement it, trust yourself with confidence to stick to it. Do not second guess yourself or look back.

There may be a feeling of doubt that creeps up in your mind. This can cause you to get stuck and not take any action. Sticking to your decision allows you to stay focused and accomplish your goal.

This is very important because you will now be able to spend time enjoying your decision without regret.

7. Evaluate your results

At the end of your decision-making results, evaluate what went well and what lessons you learned. Use this as part of your learning experience that will be useful for other decisions you may have to make later.

The more you practice these steps, the easier to face decisions. You will be able to make decisions with clarity and confidence.

Final Thoughts

Decisions are not always easy; however, following the steps outlined in this article can help. Remember to align your choices with your core value, seek wise counsel, weigh your options, develop an action plan, avoid making final decisions when tired, trust yourself to stick to your decision, and evaluate the results.

Use these steps to make decisions with ease and confidence. Please leave comments or share your ideas on what you have used to help you with your decision-making. Thanks for visiting.

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