To be a productive, efficient, and happy person, being able to make good decisions is important. Even though making the right decisions sounds simple, you have to approach decisions properly or you might not realize you are about to make a bad decision until it’s too late. Stopping a bad decision in its tracks is as easy as following these three simple steps.
What’s Your Drive?
There is a motivation behind every decision you make. No matter what decision you are trying to make, there will be some influence that leads you one way or another. It is important to understand exactly what your drive is because a negative motivator will probably lead you to make a decision you will later regret! The easiest way to do this is to just consider your emotions when you have to make a decision. If you are acting based on negative emotions like anger or sadness, you should probably wait to make the decision or drop it completely. Making sure that you are thinking positively is a simple way to encourage more positive outcomes.
Consider the Outcomes
Every decision you make has consequences. It is important to consider these consequences before deciding to do something one way or another. You don’t necessarily have to think of every consequence in depth. But, if you consider the outcomes of your decisions and none of them seem positive, then you probably want to choose a different course of action.
Second-Guessing Almost Always Means “Don’t”
Whenever you are faced with a decision, if you start to second-guess yourself at any point, it is probably because some part of you knows it is not a good idea. Hindsight is 20/20, but intuition is a sure way to consider each choice more carefully. If you feel that your decision could lead to more unpleasant things than pleasant ones, then you are likely on the road to a bad decision. Listen to yourself! You are the best judge of yourself.
