Every day, we make thousands of decisions. From small choices like what to eat for breakfast to life decisions like changing jobs or taking a Leadership Course, each decision significantly impacts our lives. Yet, choosing the right path is not always easy.
Often overwhelming, Decision Making can leave us stuck in doubt and second guessing. Fortunately, there are several powerful strategies for making decisions that truly benefit you, helping you overcome analysis paralysis and boost confidence. These transformative tips will enhance your life and simplify the process.
Effective Decision Making Hacks to Simplify Your Life
These five effective decision making strategies will help you tackle major and minor life decisions:
1.The 10/10/10 Rule: Author Suzy Welch popularised the 10/10/10 rule, one of the simplest yet most effective decision making methods. When making a decision, ask yourself how you will feel about it in ten minutes, ten months, and ten years.
Imagine deciding whether to accept a job offer in a different city. The 10 minute perspective allows you to analyse the immediate emotions, perhaps excitement combined with anxiety. The 10 month perspective lets you consider how this decision will affect your life in the medium term. Possibly, you will have settled in, or maybe you will miss your hometown. The 10 year perspective challenges you to consider the long term and how this choice might open career doors and shape your future.
2.Decide Between Two Good Options with a Coin Flip: Though it might sound almost absurd, flipping a coin can reveal your true preference, especially if you are torn between two equally acceptable options. The trick is noticing that, before the coin even lands, you often find yourself hoping it will land one way over another.
Say you choose between a steady job and a more creative but uncertain role. Assign heads to stability and tails to creativity, then toss the coin. As it is in the air, pay attention to your gut reaction. Are you secretly rooting for one side? This technique does not force you to follow the coin but instead uses your intuition to reveal the choice your heart has already made.
3.Embrace Satisficing Over Maximising: The pursuit of “perfect” can be paralysing. Psychologist Herbert Simon coined the term “satisficing” to describe an approach where you choose an option that meets minimum requirements rather than endlessly searching for the best.
For instance, let us say you are shopping for a new laptop. Instead of looking for one with every possible feature, decide on your non negotiable qualities: perhaps battery life, screen size, and storage. Once you find a model that meets those criteria, go for it.
4.The Power of the 5 Second Rule: Author Mel Robbins introduced the “5 Second Rule,” which encourages you to act quickly to prevent hesitation. When you decide to act, count down from five and move as soon as you reach one. This stops your brain from overthinking or talking you out of the decision.
Imagine you are deciding whether to speak up in a meeting. You count down from 5, then raise your hand. This trick is handy for everyday decisions where you may feel unsure or anxious. The “5 Second Rule” cuts through doubt, giving you the courage to make bold decisions and take immediate action.
5.Use the 80% Rule for Perfectionists: If you struggle with decision paralysis, this method can be life changing. This hack is about recognising when something is “good enough” rather than perfect. For example, if you are working on a project, aim to complete it to 80% of your satisfaction. This is often where diminishing returns set in: you could keep tweaking, but the improvements will be minimal.
The 80% Rule encourages you to decide when something meets most of your criteria, allowing you to move on rather than getting stuck in perfectionism.
Conclusion
Making decisions should not cause anyone anxiety. These tips can help you confidently and easily navigate decisions. Each strategy, whether using the 80% Rule to combat perfectionism or flipping a coin to rely on your gut feeling, can guide you towards choices that reflect your values and goals. Consider The Knowledge Academy courses to deepen your understanding of decision making and further enhance your skills.
