How to learn to make decisions? – Online Psychologists

Making decisions It is something we have to do many times throughout our lives. We must learn to choose between one option or another so as not to get stuck. Some of these choices are easy to make, however, there are others that are not so easy.

The problem comes when making a decision, we don't know what to do and we blocked ourselves. We are not able to choose any option. This blockage is usually related to the fearWhether it is the fear of making mistakes, the fear of giving up on an option or the fear of something new that is to come.

Making decisions is something usual in everyday life. Your life is the result of all the decisions you have made over the years.

When we think about making decisions we always do it in a big way. That is, We think about big and momentous decisionssuch as what career to choose or where to live.

However, throughout the day we make many other choices almost unconsciously. We eat toast or biscuits for breakfast, we wear certain clothes, we walk or drive, etc. Many times, the difference between our day being one way or another is made by these small decisions.

Learning to make decisions involves take the reins of our lives. When we make decisions, we become masters of our own lives. After all, we are the only ones responsible for our destiny. Learning to make decisions is essential to achieving personal well-being.

It is true that it can be difficult to choose between the different opportunities that are presented to us and to give up others. However, when you decide and know what you want, you can be happy and proud of your decisions. You are following the path that you yourself have chosen.

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What mistakes do we make when making decisions?

We have to avoid focusing on what we lose. We must focus on what we we can win when you choose an option. This way you will not fall into the so-called “paralysis by analysis«That is, not making any decisions because you are over-analyzing which one you should take and which one you shouldn't.

Also, you should not delay the moment to choose. When we are faced with this situation, we tend to procrastinate. We prolong the moment as much as possible.

However, if you are waiting for the moment when you have everything clear and you believe that there is no risk, you will never make the decision. Therefore, the best thing you can do is to get a deadline not too far away for the resolution of the decision.

Have fear of making a mistake It is also one of the most common mistakes. There is no need to be afraid, failure is part of life. People who achieve success have also made mistakes and have constantly made mistakes.

No one is born knowing how to do things and, as a result, you will make mistakes no matter what. But you learn a lot from mistakes. So, lose that fear of making mistakes because it will not allow you to move forward.

What advice and reflections should we take into account when making decisions?

The first thing we must take into account when making a decision is leave fear behind. Be aware that making mistakes is natural. Even if we fail, once we have made the decision we must continue and fight for it “to the death”.

Fear can hold us back because we often believe that if we reject something, things will go worse for us. Replace that fear with your intuition, be guided by it. We must listen to our heart and learn to decide for ourselves. The only correct decision is one that is good for us.

  • You must keep in mind that there is no single “correct” option.

Most of the time there is no “good” or “bad” option. We always tend to think “what will be the right thing to do?”

The truth is that many times there is nothing right, both options are valid. Whatever you do will be fine, it will all depend on how you manage it once you have made the decision.

The option you choose will have its good and bad points, like everything in life. You will be fine no matter what option you choose. It all depends on you.

  • Consider all options

Sometimes we get stuck on only two options when we have a wider range of alternatives. We are only concerned with choosing between A or B. But we can also continue searching the alphabet.

You also need to think about why you made the decision. That is, why should I make this decision? What happens if I don't? If I stay as I am and don't choose any of the alternatives, will there be any consequences?

  • Visualize yourself in each and every option

To make it easier for you to choose, it is advisable to visualize yourself in the options presented to you. That is, how you would see yourself if you chose one option or another, how you would feel or, most importantly, if choosing that option will make you feel good and happy.

You have to try to imagine as much as possible what you would do in each option and how each of them would make you feel.

  • Analyze the pros and cons, as well as the emotional weight they have for you.

Make a List of pros and cons of each option It will be very useful for you to choose the option that best suits you.

Writing is a way to organize ideas, so they will be recorded on paper and you will be able to choose the option more easily.

In addition, you can add a kind of score to each argument for or against. That is, How much emotional value does that argument have for you?. Depending on the number you give it from 1 to 10, this being the number with the most value, it will have more or less weight.

It is advisable to make the list over several days. This is done so that you can review the arguments and if any more occur to you, you can add them.

Close the list when you are sure that you have all the pros and cons for each option. Once you have it, you will know which alternative to choose.

  • Give yourself a deadline to make the decision.

Give yourself a deadline to decide which option to choose. If you spend all your time analyzing which option is going to be the best and which is the worst, you will end up not choosing either. This will only make you regret not having made a decision in the long run.

You have to get moving, even if you are not 100% convinced. If you want to move forward in life, you have to act and take risks.

  • Don't be afraid to regret.

One of the fears that can come over us when we have to choose or make a decision is that of regretting it later. When we have already chosen we always think “What would have happened if I had chosen the other one?” You will never know. You have to trust yourself and your intuition.

Remember that if you have chosen that alternative it was for a reason, everything happens for a reason. If difficulties appear along the way, believe in yourself, because you will be able to overcome them and come out on top.

If you make a mistake, it's okay. Remember that we are all human and We have the right to learn from our mistakesWe can never be sure that everything will go well, but we can always prove that we will do our best.

In the event that some kind of inconvenience arises that you cannot overcome on your own, you always have the option of ask for help.

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