Decision-making can be a really hard. While it may seem like confident leaders and extroverts are able to make decisions rationally and without any fuss, everybody makes bad choices.
Why is it so easy to think that the decision that you’ve made is bad? One reason could be that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. You can tell yourself the decision that you didn’t take would have been the better one.
But if you are left feeling dissatisfied after making a decision, it is very likely that you’ve made a bad decision. While you cannot go back into the past and change your choice, you can try and understand why you made that decision in the first place, and become more cognizant of what happens inside you when you need to make a decision.
Why do we end up with the wrong decision?
Taking mental shortcuts
We are plagued with decision making in our daily life. Sometimes, we go for the easiest option without really thinking it through. If we are feeling too tired or distracted, then we don’t weigh the pros and cons of a decision and often end up with the wrong choice.
What might seem to be the right decision in that moment may not be the best decision in the long run, so it is important to think about the consequences of our decisions.
Letting the emotions steer our reasoning
Sometimes our emotions can blind us from thinking logically and rationally. If we are feeling overwhelmed, we might make a decision based on the feeling instead of weighing the outcome.
It is important to make decisions with a clear head and not let our emotions drive us.
Being a satisfier
We are very concerned with how our decisions impact those around us. We may choose something that makes everyone else happy without truly considering what we want.
If this becomes a pattern and we end up always getting the short end of the stick, then we need to reexamine our choices.
The paradox of choice
Research has noted that our lifestyles are such today that having too many choices can often paralyze the decision making process. We are unable to rationally weigh the outcomes and take a decision at random.
When we have unrealistic expectations
Often, our expectation from a decision and what actually happens is not in alignment. When we overvalue the reward we will get from a decision, we are often left disappointed no matter what decision we make.
Being calm while making a decision can often help – with both the process of taking the decision and it’s outcome.
Ask yourself some questions – what do I want from this decision? Play our scenarios in your head, the good ones as well as the tough ones, and remind yourself that one bad decision doesn’t have the power to change the course of your life.
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