5 Steps to Even The Toughest Decisions: Decision Making Guide

Decision-making is not easy, and for many of us, it can seem daunting. However, the power of decision-making can propel you toward success and help you achieve all your dreams. No matter the stage of life you are in, making the right decisions can open up amazing opportunities. I think it's important to note that you can use this process with any decisions you need to make. However, I’ve found it most helpful for situations I find myself overthinking, second-guessing, or one’s that are difficult to make. To help you harness this power, here are my five simple steps to guide your decision-making.

5 Steps to Dominate Your Decision-Making:

Step #1: Layout your options

The first step in making any decision is to lay out all the options available. I recommend doing this on paper because we're about to get a little more detailed, but the goal is to lay out your options. Our brains tend to automatically come up with two options, and they’re normally what's obvious to us or the black or white options. For example, the two apparent options could be something like Staying in my corporate job - or - quitting and going all in on my business.

We tend to only come up with the two obvious scenarios, and they’re usually the extremes or opposites of each other. BUT, I challenge you to try and come up with a third option because you may find that there are, in fact, more options available to you if you can try to come up with them. So, I encourage you to give yourself some space and time here. Especially, if you feel like this is a really big decision to make! Really think through what a third option could be. The calmer and clearer you can think, the easier it will come to you. Therefore, I recommend eliminating as much distraction as possible because it just might be the most logical option and best option for you. When you allow yourself to dig and think a little deeper than the surface and out of the box, you may be surprised by what arises. At least this has been my experience, so I encourage you to test this out for yourself as well.

Remember, to have at least three options to choose from before moving forward. Having multiple options widens your perspective and gives you a better chance of finding the best one. Write down each option on a piece of paper and name it. This will make it easier to reference later.

Step #2: List out all the pros and cons of each scenario

After you lay out your options, take time to consider the pros and cons of each one. Take each option one at a time and identify all of its advantages and disadvantages. Really go there and allow yourself to brain-dump all the good and bad of each scenario if you were to choose it.

Be really honest with yourself! For this reason, I recommend doing this alone because good and bad is an opinion and will look different for everybody. Remember, your goal is to make the best decision FOR YOU. This process takes time, but it will be worth it.

Now I'm going to throw you a curve ball -and this isn’t necessarily a step, but it truly makes all of the difference, so I'm making it a step because it is that important…

Step #3: What is the best option for you right now?

Once you have identified the pros and cons of each option, take a moment to evaluate each scenario objectively. There is a difference between making the best decision and making the best decision for you RIGHT NOW. Again be honest with yourself and consider all things in your current situation that is relevant to making this decision.

You’re not making a decision from the future but from the present. Keep in mind you’re going to change and evolve in time. I’ll also note that just because you’re deciding what’s best for you right now… doesn’t mean it has to be permanent. I’m guilty of doing this myself, so I want to just remind you that we get to change and pivot and move; if and when we want to.

So, What is the best course of action for you at this time? Consider your priorities, strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals. Keep in mind that what is right for one person may not be correct for another.

Step #4: Simply Decide

Decide the direction you’re going to go, decide the target you’re aiming for, the thing you are wanting to get, the goal, the desire - whatever it is. Consider what areas in your life you have felt stuck or confined, and know that now is the time to liberate yourself. There is power behind making a decision and not looking back.

At times, you may find yourself stuck in the analysis process, but remember, it is essential to move the decision-making process forward. If you find yourself in this situation, take a break, get up, and walk away for a while. When you come back to it, take decisive action, do not overthink, and trust yourself.

Now, I don't mean casually “yea I’ll give it try”, “I’ll test it out”. NO. That’s dabbling! What I mean is going all in - doubling down and standing by your decision. Whatever that is for you. It can be for something big as letting go of your full-time job and going all in on your dream. Or, for something small like choosing your website host. The point is simply deciding whatever you haven’t already or what has been undecided at this point. We’re making the decision, the best one we believe is for us RIGHT NOW. One we can stand by regardless of the result or the outcome.

We are no longer waiting for permission, a sign, or the stars to align. The waiting is over, we need to move forward. Whether our decision was right or wrong, it’s made, and because it’s made we’ll be able to figure that out a lot sooner and find out the correct answer a hell of a lot faster than not having made the decision at all. People can spend their whole lives waiting and not deciding and they also may never experience the result or the journey either. I don’t want that for you, and based on the fact that you've read up to this point, I don't think you want that for yourself either.

Step #5: Take bold and scary action aligned with your decision

The final step is to take action. Making a decision is one thing, but taking bold and scary actions is another. This requires courage. The kind of courage that's needed to face the unknown, step out of your comfort zone, and take the risk. The courage to fail, to learn, and stand up again. The courage to believe in your own worth and capabilities above all.

It may be something as small as making a phone call or as big as quitting your job. Whatever it is, it will always be scary because it is taking a step into the unknown. Do not let fear hold you back or prevent you from taking the needed action. Trust your decision and take bold and scary action; it is where the magic happens.

Now the chances are that you’ve been avoiding making the decision could be because you’re afraid of having to do the action that comes after. And if that sounds like you, then I really want you to keep reading. Regardless of what you believe, as far as we know, there is one life we live. There is no trial run, this is not a drill, this is it. Although we cannot control anything outside of ourselves – you have control of ourselves - how we think, react, and what we do. We have choices every day, and collectively make up the outcome of our lives. What we’ve lived already and the unknown of what we will experience in the future. We can continue to play safe and do what we’ve been doing, or we can be brave and embark on a new path toward a bold new future. We have the power to write our own story, create our own twists with our own happy endings, from new perspectives, if we choose.

Let’s talk briefly about the ability to make a decision and why it's so important.

Firstly, It’s too important NOT to. If you don’t or can’t make a decision, then that thing you need to make a decision about will never move forward it will forever stay in the state it’s in. Let me stress that not making a decision, IS a decision in itself. Let's use the example of someone who is at a job that they don’t like, they’ve been at this job for a long time, and they aren’t happy and haven’t been happy there for a long time. Friends and family keep suggesting they should look for a different job, and they’ve considered it. But they haven’t actually decided to start looking for another job. That is a decision!

With them NOT making a decision, they are deciding not to look for another job, and they are going to continue to be unhappy at that job. We can go into the reasons (x, y, and z) of why someone would do that, but the point of the example is to recognize that Not deciding is a decision. I’ll use a personal example. Someone who is in a toxic relationship that they know is not good for them, but they stay with that person even knowing they shouldn’t. Why don’t they leave? They haven’t decided to, which is them really deciding not to.

Why am I talking about this? Why is this important?

Well, if you're looking through the lens of your personal life, professional life or business, you are in control. You are the creator, the designer, the writer of your story, and you choose how you want to live your life and what you do with it. If you're looking through that lens, your life and future life (be it personal or professional) is ultimately a series of choices or decisions that you make. Someone said it so beautifully to me a while ago, and they said: your life is made up of your experiences and the choices you make.

Making a decision and moving forward with that decision is beneficial in a couple of ways. You get your answer or you learn your lesson sooner. If you are so afraid of not making a decision because you’re in your head about “What if it doesn’t work?” or “What if I leave him and I end up alone forever?”, “What if I look for another job and I hate the other job there too?”. What if this and what if that…

We can catch ourselves going through the rabbit hole playing the what-if game and really, you should be challenging the opposite.

Examples of this look like:

What if I look for another job and I like it, I do well there, I’m finally recognized for my accomplishments, I am being challenged and can use my strengths.

- OR -

What if I get another job and I don’t like it, but I am being challenged this has given me the confidence I needed to look for something else and I know I can find another job better suited for me. With this transition, I have a better understanding of the position, company, or job description I’d like to go for next.

- OR -

What if I quit this job I hate and finally go all in on myself and actually start this business? Having the time to focus and dedicate wholly on this business and it takes the hell off and I am making more money working less on my business than I did at my full-time job.

It’s how you look at things, and I realize having a different perspective is hard when your brain is hardwired to be and think like you currently do, because It’s been doing it your whole life. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just trying to keep you safe the best way it knows how. While it may have served you in this way before, the way of thinking that got you here isn’t what’s going to get you there - we need to update it! Know that you can change it, and it's okay to challenge yourself, and your mind sometimes. You can do this by asking yourself what is the worst that can happen? What is the bright side of that?

Conclusion:

Using these five simple steps will help you make better decisions in your life. Remember, decision-making is a powerful tool that can either hold us back or propel us forward. So, be decisive and trust your choices. Commit fully to your decision, do not look back, and take bold and scary actions that are aligned with your decision. This is how you will accomplish your goals, pursue your passion, and achieve everything you are striving for.