4 questions to make the right choice….
By: Preethi Sonia
Tags: Decisions, Decision Making, Questions, Choices, Questions Worth Asking

Image by Bruce Mars on Unsplash

Decisions, decisions, Decisions!

From dawn to dusk we are faced with decisions to take and choices to make. But a decision about whether to have a croissant or an omelet for breakfast is a far simpler one to make than a more critical one like whether to take a particular job offer or perhaps move to a whole new country.

Some people have it down to a science. I envy those people. They make a list of pros and cons and objectively decide on the way forward very efficiently and quickly. Certain others take a lot of time to make elaborate flow charts to help them arrive at a somewhat calculated decision.

But what about the rest of the world?

What is a good way to choose and then own that decision like a boss?

There’s still a life to lead past that decision and one has to either face the consequences of a bad decision or enjoy the rewards of a good one.

It almost makes you envy a young child whose age exempts them from facing the scourge of life changing decisions. Their lives are simply restricted to swallowing the puree they have been fed by their well meaning caregiver or expelling it out promptly with their tongues, expressing disgust.

But as adults we need to make decisions not only for ourselves but sometimes even for the people around us — our family, our friends, or colleagues. That is a heavy responsibility to shoulder.

I’m sure you’ll admit that we are surrounded by a lot of indecisive people. We encounter them on a regular basis. They fester on a decision and can unbiddenly annoy us. Often times they hinder our progress and affect our future. Some people would rather wallow in their current state of limbo than face the consequences of their choices.

Imagine that there was a simple way to arrive at a decision without leaving it to fate or asking someone else to make the decision for you. Imagine that after using this process you are able to make better choices and have much better outcomes thereon.

This is my go-to process when I have a big decision ahead of me. I take some time out from my schedule and ask myself these four questions. If you want to try this the next time you are faced with a big decision, bring out your notebook or a sheet of paper and let’s get cracking.

What WILL happen if I do this? What WILL happen if I DON’T do this? What will NOT happen if I do this? What will NOT happen if I DON’T do this?

These might seem a bit heavy to pen down, but it will challenge your mind to consider all the possibilities and make a far better decision. It will cause your mind to think out of the box and face your truth. You will feel more confident about the decision you finally make.

For simpler choices however, I must confess I rely entirely on my gut instinct. And that is exactly what the coin toss technique does for me. If my decision is between two possibilities, I simply flip a coin. If you are thinking “Oh she leaves it up to fate”….Not quite. Before I see the side that has landed face up there is a milli-second where I hope for a particular side. Most often that’s the choice I go with regardless of what the coin tells me. That is my subconscious who knows the answer before it comes into my conscious awareness. I trust it immensely.

So there you have it…you don’t have to feel so bogged down by the weight of a decision or a choice you need to make any longer. Try it and see if it helps you make a great decision.