How To Make A Difficult Decision!

On any normal day, we face hundreds of options. Should I eat that cheese? Shall I snooze for another 10 minutes? But when the decisions we need to make are potentially life-altering, it gets much harder. Here’s how to make the tough choices without breaking a sweat.

- Lesley Marchant

You’re not the only one who finds high stake decisions a struggle. Scientists have looked at the difficulties surrounding indecisiveness—such as doubt and regret—and it turns out they’re causing problems for more people than we realize. The problem? The element of uncertainty. As The Wall Street Journal says, “Certain personality traits play a role; people with a strong need to reach a conclusion in a given situation tend to engage in black-and-white thinking, while ambivalent people tend to be more comfortable with uncertainty.” In other words, making decisions makes us uncomfortable. After all, what we choose will say something about who we are and what we value. While we all have an innate desire to protect ourselves from the wrong choices and the consequences thereof, making big decisions is unavoidable. Here’s how to meet them head-on.

SQUASH ALL THE BIASES

As Rolf Dobelli explains in The Art of Thinking Clearly, when making a decision, you need to consider the base rate—i.e. the likelihood of all particular outcomes. So instead of taking into account every possible outcome, look at the ones that are most likely to happen. Remember the base rate: most long-distance relationships fail; most well-paying jobs are more challenging; and, for most couples, kids aren’t a fix for a failing relationship. It’s not meant to demoralize you, but to help guard you against potentially reckless optimism. As Dobelli says, “When you hear hoof-beats, don’t expect a zebra.”

TRY TO GET INTO AN EMOTIONALLY AMBIGUOUS STATE