Have you ever spent hours in a restaurant trying to decide between the chicken and the fish? My guess is that while you may weigh both options, by the time the server arrives you have made your decision. So why is it that when a truly important decision comes up you hesitate, or wait for someone else to make the call for you?
All major decisions involve some conflict or risk. It is in our nature to be cautious and we worry about making the right choices. But more often than not, book-a-cruise we know the right choice – even if it is just a gut feeling. In the end, your indecision is triggered by your fears. Making decisions and accepting the consequences will help you stay in control of your time and your success.
The good news is that with practice, your decision making, cruise-ship-booking skills will improve. In order to achieve more in your life, you need to display the confidence of a leader and overcome those fears that are holding you back. Being indecisive puts your whole life on hold. Every day your challenge is to be able to move on from the current situation and start the next project.
Here are a couple of strategies to help you be more decisive and improve your time management:
Identify the problem to be solved. The best decision makers are great at identifying problems. Most of the decisions that fail are the result of trying to solve the wrong problem. Don’t let yourself be distracted by things that don’t pertain to the current issue. Act like a doctor and review the symptoms to identify the real problem. Once you have identified the problem, influenciveinc write it down so that you have a reminder of what you are trying to solve.
Review your options. Now that you have identified the true problem, you need to generate solutions. Use brainstorming techniques to come up with possible solutions, but set a time limit for your brainstorming sessions. Take the best information you have right now and don’t be afraid to ask for input from other people that you trust. Be creative – smart-trove solutions don’t have to be tried and true to be valuable.
Determine the best choice. Whether you are basing your decision on the best potential outcome or the least negative impact, you need to make a choice. Too many people get caught in the trap of delaying a decision in the hope that waiting for more information will make it easier. The best choice solves the problem identified in the first step.
Act! Sometimes, it just feels easier to wait and have someone or something else make the decision for you. Remember, you are the only one that knows how to solve your problems, so step up and act. As soon as you have determined the best choice, implement it. Don’t wait until tomorrow or after lunch. The sooner you act, the sooner you can move on to the next decision.
Review. What was the outcome of this decision? Did you make the best choice; if not how will you correct that in the future? What brainstorming technique worked the best? Who had the best input? Remember you need to keep practicing to become a great decision maker.
In our everyday lives, we are constantly making decisions. Your time is extremely valuable and being decisive allows you to keep accomplishing more each day. Try to apply the same decisiveness you have at a restaurant to your harder decisions. You will be amazed at how your decision making and time management will get easier when you commit to action.