Even the most confident individuals will have some challenges with decision making from time to time. At Technalink, we know how tough it can be to make a hard decision, particularly under pressure, and to feel confident about the decision you’ve made after the fact. What many don’t know, especially while under pressure, is that there are steps you can take to make more confident decisions in just about any situation. The steps you need to take for more confident decision making are:
• Stop and breathe – Before really getting into the nitty gritty of decision making, it’s important to take time to stop and breathe. Your mind may be cluttered, and that will do you no favors in terms of making a clear and confident decision. Take a few moments to stop and breathe, perhaps spend some time meditating with your mala prayer beads, and step back up to the plate of the decision when your mind clears a bit.
• Frame your long-term goal – What do you ultimately want to happen with the situation at hand? Looking at the short term, or the “right now”, might be easier, but it’s important to keep your overall results in mind. After taking time to clear your mind and breathe, use your mind to frame your long-term goals and how these goals would be best achieved.
• Get out of the huddle – When faced with a tough decision, your first instinct might be to consult the opinions of your team or other trusted professionals. While on the surface this might seem like the right call, you’re actually making things more difficult on yourself. It’s not wrong to ask for opinions or perspectives, but ultimately you’ll need to remove yourself from the huddle to make a decision with a clear head. When you listen to too many voices at once, it becomes pretty difficult to hear your own.
• Go through your pros and cons to get yourself back to neutral – Creating an honest pros and cons list is a great way to approach tough decision making, especially when it comes to bringing yourself back to an unbiased and neutral place. With honest pros and cons to view, you’ll be able to see the positive path more clearly, and it might not always be the path you would’ve initially chosen.
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