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Decisiveness is one of those critical skills you need to have for success in life.
You not only need to be able to make good – not perfect! – decisions, but more importantly, you need to make them quickly.
And after you´ve made them, you need to commit to them. That is one of the 13 Crucial Do´s And Don´ts Of A True Leader.
This list will help you to develop that decisiveness and therefore accelerate your journey towards the extraordinary life of your dreams.
Are you ready?
1. Realize that deciding at all is better than choosing perfectly
One of the biggest things that keep us from making decisions quickly is the fear of making the wrong decision.
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
– Theodore Roosevelt
Your decision doesn´t need to be perfect. It primarily needs to be made. True leaders do not excel by making the right decision every single time. They stand out by having the habit of making decisions quickly and in the best possible way.
So get rid of that self-sabotaging habit of perfectionism.
2. Eliminate small decisions
We, humans, make endless small decisions throughout the day. You are not aware of it, but studies suggest that the average human makes around 35.000 decisions each day!
Of course, our brain gets a bit more tired after each decision it has to make. So you should not only try to make big decisions at the beginning of the day but also reduce the overall number of small choices you make.
This can be done by choosing an outfit the evening before so that you don´t have to waste your precious and fresh decisiveness in the morning.
You could also start to simplify your life by creating meal plans or workout plans, which you have to follow.
3. Dare to be uncomfortable
If you take comfort out of the decision-making process, things will become much more manageable.
Very often, there is that one decision, we know is logical to make. But it makes us much more uncomfortable than its alternative.
You need to learn to embrace stepping out of your comfort zone and being uncomfortable. That is the only way you will truly grow, and the only way to create the extraordinary life of your dreams.
So once you start to seek out uncomfortableness and shift it from your contra to your pro list, decisiveness will follow.
4. Think long-term
Many people find it daunting to think about the effects a decision will have in the long run.
However, thinking long-term can also boost your decisiveness.
Imagine yourself in five or ten years and look back on the decision you have to make right now. Which one do you think your future self will thank you most for?
5. Realize that not deciding wastes your time
Sometimes we do not decide on something because we tell ourselves that we still have time to do so.
And that might be true, but until you have decided there will always be that little nagging thought in the back of your mind, that will remind you of the open decision.
As soon as you realize how much time of being happy you waste by delaying your decision, being decisive will become much more accessible to you.
6. Analyze why you are undecisive
Sometimes we spend so much time obsessing over a problem without even really knowing what the problem is.
Take a step back, listen to some music, do yoga, meditate, and simply breathe. Then look at the decision you have to make again.
Why is it so hard for you to be decisive? Start a pro-contra list for every choice you have.
Having everything logically and clearly laid out in front of you will do wonders for your decisiveness.
7. Gauge the worst and best case scenario
This one always helps me immensely. And although it seems like a rather obvious thought process, I feel like many people don´t think about it while they desperately try to decide for something.
So for every difficult decision you have to make, think about the best and the worst-case scenario.
Before I started this blog, I did just that.
The best-case scenario would obviously be me becoming financially free, living a life of passion, not having to work a 9-to-5, and traveling the world.
The worst-case scenario would have been that I wasted a few thousand euro, which I could earn back within 1-2 months. But I would have still gotten a ton of experience, and I would have no regrets later on in life.
Putting these two options next to each other, the logical choice seemed evident to me.
8. Set yourself a deadline
This one is important. You can´t ponder over a decision forever! First of all, you are wasting that time being anxious over which decision you should make.
Second of all, many people have made the experience, that quick and intuitive decisions, after having accumulated all the facts, are the best ones.
So once you have all the facts and are ready to decide, set yourself a deadline of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, an hour, or at most a day.
You will feel so much better after having finally made the decision. And then you can go back to enjoying life.
9. Flip a coin
Ok, before you declare me crazy, hear me out. Of course, I do not expect you to make a life decision by merely flipping a coin.
But in some situations, it can be somewhat of a guide.
Flip a coin and look at the result. Do you feel good about it? If not, you probably will quickly change your mind and follow the other option.
So this is some ultimate tool to lure out the decision you feel best with.
The next time you struggle to make a decision, put at least one of these tips into action. Some might work better for you than others. But I am convinced that you will find them helpful.
Please, share your results using these tips down below. This will motivate your fellow Felicity Seekers and make the lessons stick in your mind.
As always, I wish you all the happiness and success of the world!
Until next time,
Sophie
