How Your Decision Making Shapes Your Life?

Life is all about making choices and decision making every day. Whether positively or negatively, our decision making skills are responsible for shaping our future. We should not only try to make the best possible decisions but also try to learn from our wrong choices. Decision-making is an art, a skill that defines our destiny.

Tony Robinson said,

It is in the moments of your decisions that your destiny is shaped.

 

You can also read: How to get better at saying NO

What is decision-making?

Decision-making is a cognitive process of choosing the best possible course of action to achieve a goal, from several available alternatives or choices, after gathering data and evaluating it without any prejudices or biases.

Decision making in our daily routine matters

In our daily lives, we make several decisions every day about everyday routine matters like deciding:

• What to cook? 
• What to eat?
• Where to go? 
• Which dress to wear? 
• When to get up?
• When to go to bed?
• Which book to read? Etc.

These types of decisions do not have a lifetime impact on your future. You may make a good decision or a bad decision, but you will forget about it the next day. However, you learn from your bad choices, and next time, you try to make better decisions about daily routine issues.

Decision making about life-shaping areas

Decision-making about our education, life companionship, and workplace is significant. These decisions define and shape our lives. Whenever you are confused about any decision, you should learn the skill of making the right choice.

Examples of such decisions, which require your special attention and focus, are deciding about:

• Which subjects to study?
• Which person to marry?
• What is a good business to start?
• Which profession to choose?
• What is the best car to buy?
• Which house to buy? etc.

These are the decisions that can affect your whole life, and you should try your best to make the best possible choice when making these decisions. You can follow some guidelines for making better decisions. Because learning to improve your decision-making skills is better than regretting later. 

Significance of making the best choice

Making the best decisions about every aspect of our lives is significant because it shapes our future. Whether it is about your education or your workplace, it is important because:

• It keeps you focused on your goals.
• It gives you awareness about available resources.
• Planned decisions can save your time and energy.
• It grooms your personality.
• Over time, you learn to make the right decision at the right time.
• It helps you to face challenges and achieve your goals.
• Decision-making solves your problems.
• It keeps you motivated.

Six steps in decision making process

 Whenever you feel confused about making the right decision, follow these steps of the decision-making process and ensure that you are following honestly, logically, and rationally. These steps are as follows:

1. Recognition of the problem or decision making area

The first step in making a conscious and well-thought decision is identifying the area you are required to make the decision. Identification of a problem is the first step toward its solution; therefore, it is essential to recognize the area that needs decision-making quickly.

2. Analysis of the decision-making area

Analyze your decision-demanding area of life and think about its significance and future implications. Then, gather knowledge about it from people around you and books to be aware of all the pros and cons of your decision.

3. Development of alternatives

Make a list of all available choices. Then, think rationally and logically about all alternatives and choices available. Also, think about the pros and cons of every choice.

4. Selection of the desired alternative 

Select the most suitable alternative after honestly evaluating all the available choices. Do not be biased in assessing the possible options.

5. Implementation of the chosen alternative

Implement the chosen alternative to solve the problem and put in your maximum effort to make it successful.

6. Evaluation and feedback of implemented choice 

After implementing the selected alternative, keep evaluating its outcomes from time to time to ensure that it is working according to your planning and expectations. If the feedback is unsatisfactory, it is better to evaluate and weigh your available choices again.

Conclusion

Our choices determine the direction of our future. Every decision either takes you close to your goals or away from your goals. Therefore, make timely and wise decisions for your life and try to make the best out of available resources and choices. Sometimes we may be left with no choices; we should believe in ourselves in such circumstances. As Mohammad Ali Jinnah said,

I do not believe in taking the right decision; I take a decision and make it right.