“Truly successful decision-making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.” – Malcolm Gladwell, journalist, public speaker, and author of “Outliers: The Story of Success” and “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.”

Cambridge English Dictionary defines decisiveness as “the ability to make decisions quickly and confidently.” Decisiveness is an important trait in leadership that requires courage.  Decisive leaders make quick and effective decisions during times of crisis.

The opposite is indecision. The causes of our indecision at times may depend on the factors being considered and the weight of the decision. If it is as simple as which restaurant to go to, then I may defer making that decision to someone else because, frankly, I can eat anywhere. So, I may be indecisive because I want to please someone else.

When it comes to a heavier decision, I take the time to consider and weigh ALL the options. In these cases, I may be indecisive because I want to make sure I get it “right”. As an overachiever, I strive to make the “right” decision and struggle with overthinking the details. This is a struggle because I enjoy working through the details. As a result, I can get lost in the weeds and lose track of the overall goal if I am not careful.

There are ways to improve our decision-making skills:

1. Make a Plan
   Setting a realistic step-by-step plan with soft deadlines can help us avoid procrastinating.

2. Limit Our Choices
   Choice overload is a real thing. I experience this every time I go to the grocery store. Now, I just do my shopping online and my previous purchases pop up limiting the options to choose from.

3. Do the Math
   This is the traditional “list of pros and cons”. My struggle with this tool is that one item on my pro list may far outweigh its counterpart on my con list. So, assigning numerical values can be beneficial. Personally, journaling as part of the process provides me with a clearer perspective that supplements the weighted list.

4. Take Your Time
   Taking the time to gather pertinent information is not the same thing as procrastination. Procrastination looks more like binging Netflix and avoiding the topic.

5. Keep Moving Forward
   After the decision has been made, do not keep looking back. We cannot change the past. We can only make the next best decision.

If I allow it, I can be paralyzed by fear of failure or of looking foolish. In closing, “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela