If you want to become a better decision-maker, incorporate the following daily habits into your life.
Perhaps you are 90% sure you know where the office is that youre visiting.
Or maybe youre 80% certain you could convince your boss to give you a promotion.
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If you’re overconfident about those things, your plans are likely to go awry.
Its vital to consider your confidence level in terms of time management.
Most people overestimate how much they can accomplish in a certain period of time.
Do you think finishing that report will only take you one hour?
Do you predict youll be able to pay your online bills in 30 minutes?
You might find youre overconfident in your predictions.
Take time every day to estimate the likelihood that youll be successful.
Then at the end of the day, review your estimates.
Were you as accurate as you thought?
Good decision-makers recognize areas in their lives where overconfidence could be a problem.
Then they adjust their thinking and their behavior accordingly.
Identify the Risks You Take
Great decision-making also sometimes requires being willing to take a risk.
For example, you might speed on your way to work every day.
Each time you arrive safely without a speeding ticket, you become more comfortable driving fast.
But clearly, youre jeopardizing your safety and taking a legal risk.
Or maybe you eat fast food for lunch every day.
Since you dont suffer any immediate signs of ill health, you might not see it as a problem.
Over time, however, you may gain weight or experience other health issues.
Evaluate Your Habits
Identify habits that have become commonplace.
These are things that require little thought on your part because theyre automatic.
One surgeon tells his patients, “Ninety percent of people who undergo this procedure live.”
The other surgeon says, “Ten percent of people who undergo this procedure die.”
The facts are the same.
So when youre faced with a decision, frame the issue differently.
Take a minute to think about whether the slight change in wording affects how you view the problem.
Studies show theres a lot of value in letting an idea “incubate.”
Non-conscious thinking is surprisingly astute.
So consider sleeping on a problem.
Or get yourself involved in an activity that takes your mind off a problem.
Let your brain work through things in the background, and youre likely to develop clear answers.
Make it a daily habit to review the choices you make throughout the day.
Ask yourself what went wrong when your decisions dont turn out well.
Look for the lessons that can be gained from each mistake you make.
Just check that you dont dwell on your mistakes for too long.
Rehashing your missteps over and over again isnt good for yourmental health.
Then take the information you’ve gained and commit to making better decisions moving forward.
It’s impossible to be completely objective.
Your mind has created mental shortcutsreferred to asheuristicsthat help you make decisions faster.
Theavailability heuristic, for example, involves basing decisions on examples and information that immediately springs to mind.
Make it a daily habit to consider the mental shortcuts that lead tobad decisions.
Consider the Opposite
Once youve decided something is true, youre likely to cling to that belief.
Its a psychological principle known as belief perseverance.
For example, you might assume youre a bad public speaker, so you avoid speaking up in meetings.
Or you might believe you are bad at relationships, so you stop going on dates.
Youve also developed beliefs about certain groups of people.
Those beliefs you assume are always true or 100% accurate can lead you astray.
The best way to challenge your beliefs is to argue the opposite.
If youre convinced you shouldnt speak up in a meeting, argue all the reasons why you should.
Or if youre convinced rich people are bad, list reasons why wealthy people may be kind or helpful.
Many adults just aren’t comfortable talking about their feelings.
However,labeling your emotionscan be the key to making better decisions.
Your feelings play a huge role in the choices you make.Studies consistently show anxiety makes people play it safe.
And anxiety spills over from one area of someones life to another.
Excitement, on the other hand, can make you overestimate your chances of success.
Make it a daily habit to label your feelings.
Note whether you’re feeling sad, angry, embarrassed, anxious, or disappointed.
Then take a minute to consider how those emotions may be influencing your decisions.
Youll likely find the answer comes to you more readily when youre imagining yourself offering wisdom to someone else.
Talking to yourself like a trusted friend takes some of the emotion out of the equation.
You cant do anything right," theres a good chance you wouldnt say that to your friend.
Perhaps youd say something more like, “Youve got this.
I know you could do it,” if you were talking to a friend.
Developing a kinder inner dialogue takes practice.
But when you makeself-compassiona daily habit, your decision-making skills will improve.
Keep in Mind
Great decision-making is a complex skill.
Be wary of overconfidence, understand the risks, reframe the problem, and acknowledge your biases.
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