5 Strategies to make the right decisions so as not to take wrong steps

Making decisions especially for big things is not an easy matter. Especially if the decisions you make will have an impact on many people. So, how do you make the right decisions to minimize the bad effects that may arise? Come on, follow these tips.

Tips for making the right decisions

In order for the decisions you make to be more stable, here are some tips that you need to follow, namely:

1. Make decisions while focused and not in a hurry

Never decide something when you are in a frenzy with divided thoughts. No matter how bad the condition and how narrow the time is, you should try to focus for a moment.

Dr. Jeremy Nicholson, a social and personality psychologist and assistant lecturer in the Behavioral Economics Department, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, states that the best time to make big and important decisions is when you're relaxed, focused, and energized.

This is because complex thinking requires good attention, motivation, and also the ability to control yourself. Now, when you are in a state of confusion and have a lot of thoughts, your mind will find it difficult to focus because your body is tired.

For that, it's a good idea to make a decision in the morning when you are just about to start an activity. That way, you can weigh the pros and cons of the decision to be made in a focused way without a divided thought. Never make decisions rashly or you won't be able to think clearly.

2. Gather as many facts as possible

You cannot make a decision simply because you rely on information from one party only. Even if you have a lot of time and are in a state of focus, if the information you have as a basis before making a decision is so little, it's useless.

Especially if it turns out that the information you have is limited to individual opinions without being supported by much stronger facts. Therefore, before you decide on something, it's a good idea to gather all the facts and information relating to the decisions you make.

Relying on complete, verifiable information will help you reduce uncertainty in a choice. That way you can make the best of the good choices.

3. Remain open to all possibilities

When the data starts to collect, you can begin to map it according to the existing problems. In this process, various facts ranging from what you expected to what you didn't expect will appear in plain sight. When faced with this, always remember and think about what impact will happen next.

Don't close your eyes to the facts you discover. On the other hand, you need to be open to all the possibilities, even those you don't like. The reason is, often people immediately conclude their arguments according to what they want, not from the facts that are found.

By staying open to all the possibilities, you will avoid decisions that will only have a "fun" effect temporarily but turn out to be bad in the long run.

4. Create a positive and negative impact that will be received

A decision will definitely have an impact, both positive and negative. If you are confused which one to choose from among the several options that you think is good try this. Write a list of the positives and negatives that you will receive on each decision choice to be made on a piece of paper.

Now try to compare, which one brings the most profit but the minimum risk among the decision choices. If you have found it, then you can eliminate other options, especially those with minimal profits but big risks.

5. Try changing your view to someone else

When the decision you are about to make has increasingly led to one thing, all that needs to be done is to re-evaluate it. Check again whether this decision has answered the problem you are currently facing.

Research in the journal Psychological Science found that when you can position yourself as another person, the tendency for people to make less wise choices will decrease.