Good decisions create a good life

What decisions have you been making lately? We read an article recently that said we make about 70 decisions per day. Whew! That sounds exhausting but some of these choices are simpler decisions, such as what to have for dinner, or what clothes to wear to work. Then there are other decisions that are more complex, huge and life-changing such as what job to have or whether to marry someone, etc.

What we realized is that one decision leads to another and they form the path on your journey to creating your life. We agree with French philosopher, author and journalist Albert Camus, who said, “Life is the sum of our choices.”

Because making choices and good decisions is so important to having a good life, we wanted to share a bit of research as well as the life lessons we’ve learned and also find out what some other people would add about how they make decisions.

Here’s a simple method for making decisions, big or small, which was written in Psychology Today by Nick Tasler. First, know the ultimate objective. One of the biggest hurdles to making wise, timely decisions, is information overload, so pick the one or two options that could have the biggest positive outcomes. Second, think about how your options align with the person you are and ask the opinions of others. This will help you gain clarity and new insights into the situation. The third step, after identifying your primary objective and doing your research, is to pick the best option. You can never know definitely what the outcome will be. Tasler said, “No amount of deliberation can ever guarantee that you have identified the ‘right’ option. The purpose of a decision is not to find the perfect option, the purpose of a decision is to get you to the next decision.”

We often use Benjamin Franklin’s exercise because it is also simple, yet effective to help gain clarity on making a decision. At the top of a piece of paper, write what you are trying to decide. Then divide the paper into two columns, one for the advantages (pros) and the other one for the disadvantages (cons) of making that decision. We find that if we let the pro vs. con chart sit for a day or two, often we will think of other facets of the decision and can add pros and cons that were not initially apparent to us. This is not the fastest way to make a decision but may save time and energy by helping to make the best decision. Doing some research about facets of the decision may yield helpful information and resources. Asking others, especially experts or people who have made the same decision is often revealing. Always consider how making the decision fits in with your values and don’t underestimate the knowledge that your heart and gut share with you. Facts are important and so is intuition. We also find that prayer is a powerful way to get clarity on decision-making. Make a decision, move forward with confidence, and adjust action steps from what is learned on the way.

We went out to talk to people to see what they would say when asked the question, “When you have a situation where you need to make a decision, how do you do it?”

We met Marybeth Cureton who shared, “I’ve had a lot of those situations. I’m a thinker and I have to stop and pause and say, ‘What do I need to do?’ My first and foremost thing is that I ask God to take me through it. I ask God what I need to do and I totally trust that whatever happens, happens and it is because He is the ultimate person in my life.”

Then we met Josie Seltun who told us, “If I have to make a decision, I would definitely talk with my friends and my family about it – people that I trust and I think would steer me in the right direction. Then I also pray about it because I’m religious and I think that would definitely clear my head and help me to do the right thing.”

We’ve included some research on decision-making, our life lessons of what works for us and we also talked to Marybeth and Josie who shared their thoughts. What about you? How do you make decisions?

Here’s a challenge: We encourage you to use the methods we and others have offered to help you make good decisions, so you create a very good life that you love.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.