From Uncertainty to Action: A Comprehensive Decision-Making Guide

First, let’s answer the most critical question. Hindsight when it comes to decision-making is always twenty-twenty. Why is this? We have perspective and experience.  What makes decision-making so polarizing?  Many of us freeze in the moment, or once we take a step back and evaluate our decision further, we decide we want to return on our choice.

Experience provides us with insight. It allows us to see what will be and can often lead us to the next step. We do learn from our choices. We grow and improve. Some perceive bad decisions as mistakes, while others identify the lessons involved in making mistakes.

The truth is that decision-making is complex, and there are often unknowns. This guide is meant to help people feel right about their decisions and learn more about what is necessary to feel prepared to make impactful decisions to live the lives they want.

Gut or feeling vs. thoughtful or intellectual decisions

Some believe these two types of decisions may differ for a few of us. Research is beginning to show there could be a connection or correlation between our brain—or intellectual—decisions and our gut—or instinct-feeling decisions.

Gut feelings are often described as intuitive, subconscious responses to a situation. This type of decision-making relies on rapid, automatic processes that happen beneath conscious awareness. It often draws on past experiences and emotions rather than a step-by-step analysis of facts.

Intellectual decision-making, often called analytical or deliberative thinking, involves a slower, more systematic approach to decisions. It relies on evaluating facts, weighing pros and cons, and following a logical process.

The best decision-making often involves a combination of gut feelings and intellectual analysis.

• Experienced-based decisions: In familiar situations where someone has expertise, relying on intuition can often be faster and just as effective (if not more so) than intellectual analysis.

• Complex, unfamiliar decisions: When faced with new challenges, analyzing the situation logically tends to yield better results.

, gain perspective,.

Research and compare the evidence

As an advisor in higher education, my job is to ensure my students have the ability and know-how to make well-informed decisions. Rather than giving them an answer and directing them to what they need, my role is supportive and developmental just as much as it is informational and resourceful. I’m supporting their ability to choose, not taking that power away by telling them what to choose.

Making decisions gives us autonomy, which comes with power and influence. We should have as much information as possible to make the best decisions to gain perspective and reveal all potential outcomes. This doesn’t mean we should have a magic ball to determine the future—decision-making is not designed to be that. There is an element of trust involved in making decisions and a form of commitment made when we choose.

Doing the research can take many forms. It can involve scoping out facts and information. It could also involve internally resonating with what we need and want. We must evaluate all the data to assess which direction we want to trust and commit to.

Trust and Commitment

Building trust in ourselves and committing to our decisions takes work and can involve an element of fear. Although we cannot know the future, nothing in life allows us to know the entire outcome. Therefore, we cannot learn from our decisions if we don’t make bad ones occasionally.

This does not mean we can’t change our minds or take a different direction once we realize we made a mistake. Learning can’t happen without mistakes, and growth can’t happen without trust and commitment to an initial decision.

When we commit to a decision or trust in a process, we relinquish control, which, for some people, is understandably uncomfortable in and of itself. The good news is we can develop knowledge to ease our concerns. Often, when we research and decide, the best option reveals itself to us as we go through the process. You’re asking, “How does that happen?” stay with us to learn more.

Feedback and Evaluation

One way to gain insight into a decision is by asking, “Who do I want to be when I make the decision?” Answering this question can help identify the person we want to be once the decision is made. An example might be a decision about fitness. We ask, “Who do I want to be when deciding my fitness routine?” “Do I want to be someone who has a consistent routine and regularly works out, or do I want to be someone who struggles with my fitness?” Based on the answer, what habits does that person take on? How does their decision change their answer to the question, “What is my fitness routine?”

By envisioning who we want to be, once we make the decision, we can tie our beliefs of who we are into the decision-making process. Be careful here, though. Our beliefs of who we want to be are not directly tied to the identity of our decisions. Reframing bad choices is crucial when connecting them to our identity.  “I made a bad decision about working out.”, is quite different from “I am lazy.”  Let’s be clear about disconnecting the decision from the behavior. One correlates with the other; they are not directly linked, nor do they determine the outcome. However, our choices impact the outcome we desire to see. Thus leading to the behavior necessary to get there. By reframing bad decisions and being careful not to attach them to our identity, we can learn from them and let them go. This is why successful people can fail hard and seamlessly rebound once they learn from the misstep.

That is okay if we fail to meet our expectations or desired change with our decision. Failure is only feedback needed to move forward. This goes back to learning from perceived mistakes. Think of this as a pain response. Only apply it to decision-making instead of an injury. For example, when we touch a hot pan and burn our fingers. the next time, the pain of that misstep informs our next step. Based on the previous failure, we have feedback that leads to a different or more informed decision, resulting in a different outcome.

The evaluation of the feedback we receive can empower our decision-making process. Feedback informs our next step and processing the feedback(evaluation) we receive can only further inform how we should adjust our approach. The more we do this, our feedback process can develop our values.

Values

Ultimately, our choices are based on our values. So, how do we determine what we value, and why is that important? If we struggle to answer the "who do I want to be" question, reflect on values.

What are our values? And why do they matter? How do our values play out in our lives, leading us to the decisions we have made to this point? Does the current decision in question solidify a value we currently possess? Does it move us towards a value or progress we hope to achieve? Answering such questions will help solidify the reasons for our chosen direction.  In a sense, our values can be seen as the foundation of our decision-making process.

Does this decision deviate from a value we hold dear? Does it create a barrier to obtaining something we want in life? If so, why, and would reflecting on the importance of that value change our decision? Once we establish our values, we can better assess the impact of our decisions.

The big question I get is, where does establishing values lead us? I’m here to tell you no one knows the answer. However, we can identify a path we would like to be on that can set off a ripple effect beyond our imagination.

Values mean different things to each of us. The critical thing is to remember how our values impact our decision-making and identify a process for reflecting on that impact.

The process of decision-making is like writing. It’s messy and requires several drafts and iterations before people can see what it is supposed to be. Learning to make decisions is not about determining where we want to be—that is the easy part—but about deciding where we want to be headed. It is a constant process with an ever-evolving end goal.

End Goal

So, what does this all mean? How does this guide help us dramatically change our decision-making skills? Well, it doesn’t. The action you take after reading this article will change us moving forward. These tools guide our thought process and help us to conclude what best fits our needs, values, and ambitions for our future. These simple tools and prompts help us find our way and better understand who we are and what we want.

Add these tools to your toolbox and see where they lead you. You might be surprised at how capable you are of making the decision you knew was there all along.

Have courage, and take the next step. See you on the other side! If you like this post and want to learn more, visit our website for additional resources or tools to connect with yourself or those you love.