A study from Columbia University shows that on average, we have to go to 70 on an average day, from small things like what to eat, which way to go, and harder decisions like choosing a job offer, moving to another city to live in, or away from a negative person.
A wrong decision sometimes pays dearly. So what is the secret to making effective decisions that smart people often use?
Therefore, developing the ability to analyze and make effective decisions will bring you success and happiness. Here are the secrets that successful people use to make decisions.
1. Turn small decisions into habits
Think of decision making as muscle: if you use your muscles too much during the day, you will be exhausted and unable to move. One of the secrets to helping a successful person handle this type of fatigue is to make it a habit to make small everyday decisions. That way you will save energy for more complex decisions.
Steve Jobs wears a black shirt to work every day. Mark Zuckerberg likes to wear a hoodie jacket. Both men are always wearing the same familiar shirt as part of their daily work schedule for the sake of reducing decisions fatigue. They are aware that the energy used to make decisions during the day is limited. Barack Obama once said, “I only wear blue or gray clothes so I don't have to make decisions. I don't want to have to decide what to eat and what to wear, because I have so many decisions that need to be thought of. ”
2. Make decisions in the morning
Another great decision-making secret is to prioritize complex problems in the morning - when your mind is awake and to make small decisions at the end of the day when you're almost out of energy. If there are too many important things to make a decision, get up early and start working on difficult things first, before being harassed by surrounding factors such as email, phone. Similarly, you can do some light work the night before so you can take off the next day. For example, getting your evening clothes ready so you don't mind the next morning.
3. Pay attention to emotions
"Don't make decisions for long-term plans based on temporary emotions." Successful people understand how emotions strongly influence behavior. Unfortunately, most of us are not good at controlling or even realizing our emotional flow. According to a survey of more than a million people, only 36% are likely to perceive exactly how their emotions are going. Remember that negative emotions can easily excite and lose our self-esteem, and a happy mood can cause us to be excited and overconfident.
4. Consider your options objectively
When preparing to make a decision, successful people will compare the options according to a clear criteria table so that the decision will be more effective and easier. Some useful criteria to consider are: What is the value of this decision? Is there any disadvantage? Does this decision represent its worth? Will I regret or regret this decision?
5. Put it aside and go to sleep
Set aside your decision for the time being and go to sleep, and you will think better the next day, when time has cooled off your transient emotions. When you act too quickly, you usually just react to things, but if you spend a lot of time thinking, your decisions will be much smarter.
6. Don't delay too long
Successful people understand the importance of gathering information as much as possible, but they won't be too dependent on analyzing it. It's important to set deadlines for making decisions, so you'll be motivated to get things done on time.
7. Exercise to regain energy
Naturally, the pressure of making a decision will produce cortisol - a substance that responds in a "coping" or "fleeing" way, and you lose the ability to think clearly. When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, exercise. Just 30 minutes, you will quickly regain clarity thanks to endorphins. Exercise also helps you not respond emotionally. Research also shows that long-term exercise will help improve brain activity that is often used to make decisions.
8. Always stay true to your "quality"
Successful people understand the importance of being "right" to themselves when making decisions. It is a guide to keep you on track when your emotions mislead you.
9. Seek outside help
In the decision-making process, we tend to seek alternatives and gather information that is conducive to that decision, rather than gathering information before making a choice. To limit this situation, you should consult and ask for advice from outsiders to give you different perspectives, increase objectivity and eliminate temporary decisions.
10. Review previous decisions
Mark Twain describes the complex nature of decision making as follows: "The right decision comes from experience, but experience accumulates from mistakes." Saying that doesn't mean the only way to become a good decision maker is to make lots of mistakes; This sentence means remembering the previous lessons. Successful people know that past decisions can be made to refer to similar situations now and in the future.
The wrong decision can have consequences that can last days, weeks, or even years, so making the right decision requires an investment of energy and time from yourself.
Source: Vietnamwork.com
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