“People respond well to those who are sure of what they want” – Anna Wintour
There’s a train of thought that all things in life are neutral until meaning is attached to them. That’s why one person’s tragedy is another person’s opportunity. It’s entirely the same with making decisions. Outcomes – or the fruits – of a decision don’t have any inherent meaning until the people attached to the decision apply it. That’s why there’s more to consider when making a decision than what might seem obvious.
Making good decisions takes intention. The bigger the stakes attached to the decision, the more thought goes into making it. It might not take much thought to eat breakfast but choosing what to eat runs the decision through a gauntlet of sorts.
Decision to be made: What to eat for breakfast
Considerations: Time allotted to eat, health components of the meal, issues that could affect either the time or the health of the meal… and assorted other considerations.
A seemingly small decision can actually have a lot of micro decisions attached to it. Imagine what happens to bigger, more important decisions.
There are three elements to making a good decision:
- Knowing what you want
- Knowing what is best for those attached to the decision
- Knowing the long-term effects of the decision
Before making important decisions, it’s vital to consider these elements to make the best of the available decisions. Let’s take a look:
What do you want? Sometimes making decisions is hard or unpopular. Regardless, it’s important to know what you want in a situation. Aside from the obvious reasons why, it helps you to take the lumps if things don’t work out. Factoring what you want into a decision helps when taking ownership and savoring the results.
What’s best for the collective? Sometimes other people factor into decisions. Taking the time to think through what’s best for the people impacted by the decision matters. It doesn’t mean denying yourself what you want or sacrificing your hopes and dreams – see element #1 – but considering how your decisions affect others matters when you are part of a tribe.
What are the effects of the decision? Cause and effect are real things. Being impulsive can lead to regret. Thinking things through, getting wise counsel, mulling over the pros and cons, are all good things prior to making a big decision.
