Decide Vol. 002 – Important points to consider when making sound decisions

Making decisions is a crucial aspect of our day-to-day life. It can impact our personal and professional lives significantly, especially if our choices suck. As mentioned in Vol. 001, whether it is a small decision, such as what to have for dinner, or a larger one, like choosing a career path, it is essential to approach the process in an informed and deliberate manner.

Once you realise that every decision you make directs your future, making better decisions becomes a priority. With that in mind, here are five important points to consider when making sound decisions.

1. Values

What are the core principles that dictate how you live your life?

Hopefully this isn’t a surprise, but before making a decision, it’s important to consider your values. This will help you ensure that the decision you make aligns with what is most important to you. Think of your values as a blueprint upon which every decision can be held up against and measured.

“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.”

Roy E. Disney

As a Christian, four of the values that I am trying to live out are:

• humility
• honour
• devotion
• courage

I don’t always get it right, but I try my best and that is all that you can ask of yourself.

So for example, if you’re trying to decide whether to accept a job offer, consider how the company aligns with your values and not just your bank account. If you value stability and security, you might prioritise a job that offers a set salary and good benefits over one that offers more flexible hours but less guaranteed income. Or, if you value people and the planet over profit, then you could consider working for a B Corp.

Do you have values that you live by? If so, what are they? Let me know in the comments. If not, I would strongly recommend that you acquire some. James Clear has a great list of Core Values that you can review and see if any of them resonate with you.

2. Goals

Goals are essential in our lives as they give us a sense of purpose and direction.

They provide a clear understanding of what we want to achieve and help us to make decisions that are aligned with our values. When it comes to making great decisions, having clear goals is critical as it ensures that the decisions we make are consistent with our long-term aspirations.

The importance of goals in decision-making cannot be overstated. Here are some of the ways that goals impact our decision-making process:

• Having clear goals provides clarity and focus in decision-making. When we know what we want to achieve, we can make decisions that align with our objectives. This clarity and focus make it easier to prioritise.
• Goals give a sense of accountability. When we set specific goals, we can write them down and can hold ourselves accountable for achieving them by making sure that every decision we make is taking us closer towards our goals rather than further away.
• Goals help us to think about the long-term perspective. When we have clear goals, we are more likely to make decisions that are aligned with our long-term vision. This ensures that we are not just making short-term decisions that do not contribute to our overall goals.

One of my goals for Decisions is to publish a Decide newsletter every week for the next three months, please help in holding me accountable to this goal. It can help a lot to set realistic and achievable goals that you can build from. I would suggest getting an accountability partner to check in with you on how you are progressing every now and then.

3. Information

Gather as much relevant and accurate information as possible.

The quality and accuracy of the information you use to make a decision is integral. When sourcing relevant information, make sure to verify its accuracy, whether it is backed up by research or first-hand experience.

“I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it.”

Terry Pratchett

Before you think outside the box, make sure you have thought about what is inside the box. Try not to overcomplicate this point. Most of the time the information we need is right in front of us, if we would only open our eyes and listen carefully with our ears.

When my wife and I were looking to buy a house, we were just looking at any and all houses and because we weren’t prepared we missed out on a few good homes because we took too long to make a decision. We were encouraged to start a list of all things we needed, wanted, bonuses and deal-breakers. It was really fun putting together this list. We started gathering information on the areas we were looking into, the types of houses, what was in those houses (space for a dishwasher was key!), the average price in different areas and so on. When a house came on the market that met all of our criteria we jumped on it and made an offer, it made the decision much easier and exciting rather than stressful.

4. Alternatives

Consider as many possible options as you can.

Don’t rule out an alternative option just because it’s not your cup of tea. There is beauty and adventure to be found in choices that we might not usually consider. I recommend utilising the “Pros” and “Cons” framework, it is a structured approach to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each option before making a well-informed decision.

First, write what you trying to decide with an option at the top of a two-column grid. Label one side “Pros” and the other “Cons.” Then, get creative and list all the amazing benefits in the “Pros” column, and all the terrible downsides in the “Cons” column of that option.

Now, give each line a score based on how awesome or awful it is. A score of +5 would be the perfect outcome, while a score of -1 might be a catastrophe. Try to be totally objective – this is serious business!

Once you’ve scored everything, add up the points in each column, and subtract the “Cons” from the “Pros.” If you end up with a positive score, you’re on to something and should go for it! If it’s negative, it’s time to cross that option off your list of alternatives.

5. Consequences

Anticipate and weigh the potential results of each decision.

Considering the short, medium and long-term consequences of each of your options can really help illuminate what your future will hold. When it comes to evaluating consequences I find using the 10/10/10 rule helpful and ask myself the following, how will I feel about this consequence:

• in 10 minutes?
• in 10 months?
• in 10 years?

Often when we are stressed about a decision we only consider the short-term consequences, so reviewing the above questions will help give some perspective.

If you’re trying to decide whether to start your own business, consider the risks, such as the cost of starting a business and the risk of failure, as well as the possible rewards, such as the potential for financial success and the satisfaction of being your own boss. Start that business that you’ve always wanted to, life is short and 10 months from now you will be glad you did.

In conclusion, making sound decisions requires a multi-faceted approach that should take into account your values, goals, the gathering of relevant information, the consideration of alternatives and the anticipation of consequences.

By thinking about these points, you can make informed decisions confidently. I would love your feedback on this second volume of Decide. Please leave a comment here and let me know which point you rely on the most.

Ty

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