According to Psychology Today our decision making is often based on our life experiences. Our minds formulate mental shortcuts that help us choose the paths based on our developed biases, reasoning, and emotions. However, this is not always optimum when it comes to making the best decisions in life (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/decision-making).
If we follow our gut this may succeed sometimes although this is based on our own personal experiences. A lack of experience therefore means that our guts have very little information from which to form decisions and this can lead to big mistakes. There are some methods, though, through which we can try and make smarter decisions.
1. Know Your Goals and Values
Our life decisions are very much our own so we need to know what we believe in and where we want to go. This is not a difficult thing to do; it merely takes some self-reflection to understand what we want out of life and what we are willing to do to achieve that.
Pursuing certain careers for example may mean compromising personal beliefs. This is something that should be considered when making a smart decision. If you have to change who you are to get something it has to be worth it, if not then it is not the right path for you.
2. Gather Information
We may think we know a lot about something from having experienced it or hearing things about it. Joining the circus for example may seem cool and fun but what is the reality? It is important to arm yourself with knowledge and not assume you already know everything. A knee jerk decision can lead you down a path to something you ultimately end up hating.
So, research your goals and understand what it takes and what the rewards are. We cannot make a smart decision if we do not know all the facts.
3. Weigh the Pros and Cons
Once you know the ins and outs of where a decision may lead you then it is time to fully assess. Create a list of the positives and negatives of making this decision. When you have a visual representation of the pros and cons you can make a more intelligent decision. If the pros outweigh the cons, then this may be a smart decision.
4. Use Your Available Time
Some decisions need to be made in the moment, like "What am I going to wear?" or "What do I want to eat?" However, the important decisions in life should not be made too quickly. It takes consideration to make a smart decision. There may be a deadline for your choice to be made and there is nothing wrong with using every minute of that time if you have to.
Do not let yourself be rushed into a decision that may affect the rest of your life. If someone proposes marriage to you after dating for a week and that thought hasn’t even occurred to you, there is nothing wrong with not deciding straight away. A smart decision requires thinking so take all the time you can to consider before making your choice.
5. Consider Alternatives
At breakfast there are egg options, so too there are options in life. In order to make a truly smart decision you need to consider some of the other options available to you as well.
6. Choose and Plan
Once you have gathered the information, take your time to consider and assess all the options it is time to decide. The smart decision will be the one that fits who you are, meets your goals and makes sense for your life. Once you make the decision plan thoroughly how to pursue this option.
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