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How To Make The Right Choice For You
Yes, No, Maybe So…How To Make The Right Choice!
Have you ever put off an important decision because you were afraid of making the wrong choice?
With the varied options and lifestyle choices today, sometimes the sheer thought of trusting our inner voice to make the right decision can be debilitating.
The next time you feel overwhelmed with an important decision, try the tips outlined below to help you make the right choice.
1. Ask Why Five Times
Although this technique was originally invented by the founder of Toyota as a way to solve technical problems, it can be just as effective in solving personal dilemmas. It works something like this:
Problem: I don’t know if I want to marry Paul.
1. Why don’t you know? Because that’s a big commitment I’m scared to make
2. Why are you scared? Because I’m not sure if I’m ready
3. Why aren’t you ready? Because I don’t know if I will love him forever
4. Why don’t you know if you’ll love him forever? Because I don’t know if it’s possible to love someone forever
5. Why don’t you believe it’s possible? Because my parents fought all the time and I could see how much they hated each other or would hurt each other when I was a child.
Sometimes we are unaware of what we truly want because we’re only scratching the surface of the issue. This technique can be very effective in getting to the root of the problem.
2. Trust That It Will Work Out In The End
One of the biggest hurdles to making a decision is the fear of making the wrong one where you end up paying for it forever. Contrary to this belief is a fascinating study called Adaptation Level Theory, where researchers interviewed subjects who had either recently won the lottery or become paraplegics.
Can you figure out what the findings were? You guessed it; the paraplegics were just as happy 5 years after their accident as the lottery winners. The researchers termed this phenomenon “habituation”, basically meaning that they adapted to the everyday ups and downs of their new lifestyle.
In retrospect: our level of happiness is dependent upon on how we feel about our lives, not what we gain or lose from it.
3. Don’t Be An Opportunity Miser
Ever heard the famous fig tree quote by Sylvia Plath? It goes something like this: “I wanted so many things I didn’t choose and eventually I lost out on everything.”
Sound at all familiar? Stop letting indecision takeover just because you don’t want to miss out on anything. If you think not choosing is helping you preserve all the choices available to you, think again.
Choose now. Just think of it this way, one of two things will happen: you’ll either get what you want or learn something that will lead you to a better path.
4. Go With Your Gut
This is probably one of the most common gems of advice in regards to decision-making. Research shows our conscious mind can only hold between 5 and 9 distinct thoughts at any given time. That means that any complex problem with more than an average of 7 factors is going to overflow our conscious mind’s ability to function effectively.
Translation: the more you worry, the more valuable energy you use up thinking about a decision and the less effective you become at solving your problem. So, next time you have a big decision to make, listen to your gut feeling and seriously consider what feels right as a real option moving forward.
In order to continue making the right decisions, learn to recognize this "gut feeling" so you can gain perspective on your path forward.
Featured Image: lifecompassblog
Yvonne Sinniah
Author
Yvonne Sinniah (@YvonneSinniah) is a Relations Advisor and inspirational speaker focusing on helping individuals achieve success in personal and professional environments. focusing on helping individuals achieve success in personal and professional environments. She is on a mission to meet a nee...
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