Make better decisions

Like any skill, decision making can improve with process and practice.

Practice quick decision making this week:

Do you have enough information to decide? If not, decide what you need and find it. Do this once: don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis.
Is there an obvious choice? Make it.
If not, is the cost of waiting less than the cost of making a bad choice? If so, sleep on it. If not, decide!
If you still can’t bring yourself to make a choice, flip a coin. And if that scares you, then choose the option you’re scared the coin won’t pick!

Remember: there are always three options in a two choice decision. The third option is to do nothing. This is a choice in its own right, one that you make by refusing to decide. Sometimes (rarely) this is the right course, otherwise it’s just an expensive and irritating wait for everyone else.

Worried about a decision? Remember that many decisions aren’t truly permanent. If it turns out your choice was poor then you can revisit things later. You’ll learn from the experience too, which is a benefit in its own right.

Finally, when both options look equally good and you can’t choose between them, remember that it probably doesn’t matter what you decide.