How To Make Smarter Decisions In Every Area Of Life

We make decisions every day, but not all decisions will bring us closer to the goals we set for ourselves. Some decisions are good for our physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual health. Other decisions can destroy our lives and cause us regret. This is why we must weigh decisions carefully before we make them. Here is how to make smarter decisions in every area of life.

What Are Your Core Values?

Before you can make smarter decisions, you need to figure out what your core values are because this guides your decision-making process. If you want to start a family soon but your partner has no interest in children after marriage, it’s not a wise decision to marry this person since your values don’t match your partner’s.

Consider The Biases You Have

We all have biases, but we shouldn’t let those biases determine which decisions are the best for us. One type of bias you may have is confirmation bias. If you believe that most managers cheat their employees out of their wages and that entrepreneurship is better than a 9-5 job, you’ll look for research and others’ opinions that confirm your beliefs. But what if you discover that not all managers are selfish jerks? What if you realize that entrepreneurship isn’t the right fit for you? You’ll need to reexamine your bias to make smarter decisions.

Seek Wise Counsel

When it comes to making life-altering decisions, don’t go at it alone. It’s crucial to seek wise counsel from relatives, trusted friends, and mentors. Seek counsel specifically from people who are knowledgeable about the situations that require you to make certain decisions. If you want to relocate for better opportunities but have aging parents, talk to close friends with aging parents to get different perspectives on how you should approach the situation.

Be A Better Critical Thinker

Manipulation from others causes us to not make smarter decisions. This is why you should develop stronger critical thinking skills and know how to spot manipulation right away. If a person tells you things that seem too good to be true, trust your intuition and don’t fall for this person’s promises. When you receive new information through the media, carefully consider the sources. Check those sources and do further research to see if their claims are valid. If you’re dating someone, don’t fall for his charm and sweet compliments. Observe his actions over time before committing yourself to him.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Rule Your Decisions

You shouldn’t make decisions based on how you feel because this causes you to make decisions that are not good for your well-being. You may feel like eating a second helping of dinner but it’s not the best decision because this leads to weight gain and possibly a bloated feeling. You may feel that it’s okay to talk to your coworker disrespectfully because he said something you didn’t like, but that decision can lead to more problems such as disciplinary actions from your supervisor.

Think About The Short and Long-Term Impact

Every decision has consequences, and you want to think about the short and long-term impact your decisions will have on you and your loved ones. Suppose you decide to invest a portion of every check into your savings and investments. You’ll temporarily not have all of your income for buying the things you want, but you’ll have a more financially stable future in the long run.

Learn From Past Decisions

The effects of your past decisions play a part in the decisions you’ll make in the future. For example, if you made a series of right decisions that led you to build wealth, you’re naturally going to make more decisions that will make you even more successful based on past positive outcomes. But if you made poor decisions in your previous relationships, you would decide to make better choices so you can have a healthy relationship.

Is The Timing Right?

You want to make a certain decision but the timing may not be right. You’re thinking about buying a home but there are other factors to consider. You just got laid off and it may be a while before you land a new job that would enable you to buy a home. You have a cool business idea but your target demographic will not be able to afford your products because of a tough economy.

Your Intuition Is Also Important

You shouldn’t make decisions on emotions alone, but it doesn’t mean you ignore your intuition when you have to make important decisions. If you’re experiencing shortness of breath and constant fatigue during the day, then this is your signal to visit the doctor to see what’s wrong. Or if it’s been a few hours since you heard from your daughter and she was out with friends, call her to see if she’s on her way home.

Don’t Make Decisions When You’re Stressed, Tired, or Angry

When you make rash decisions out of stress, anger, and tiredness, you’re not thinking clearly to figure out if those decisions were right or not. Maybe you were angry at your brother for how he treated your parents and now you pushed him so hard that he suffered injuries. That decision might cause legal troubles for you. Or you were too tired to cook after work but you were hungry. Now the pot is burned and there is a lot of smoke in the kitchen.

Our decisions can alter our lives in good and bad ways. Let’s be wise and make smarter decisions so we can thrive and impact those around us for years to come.