Have you ever made a decision you regretted?

You can improve your decision making.

It is said we make 35,000 decisions a day!  Some are simple, some are complex. What can we do to boost our odds of making each one of them the best possible?  

Think about a poor decision YOU made. How did you arrive at it? Was it because you were in a rush even if you had reservations about it? You most likely have, since most hasty decisions are ones we don’t think fondly of after.

Managing a business is about making the right decisions that will maintain your profitability and keep your finances from sinking.

Which is why business leaders must train themselves to improve their decision-making abilities. Here are a few takeaways to help you make better choices with that:

Research your options

The absolute first step in making a wise business decision is to educate yourself by gathering all the facts. 

It’s surprising how many times we rush into a decision because we think that we already have all the answers. But like it or not, we need to study all the viable options, gather input from people familiar with the situation, and get advice from experienced advisors. 

Rash decisions that come back to haunt you because you didn’t do your homework are one of the quickest ways to lose your credibility. And when it comes to establishing trust with your clients or followers, you will need to spend an ample amount of time to give proper reason to your decisions.

Weigh the pros and cons

What do you get out of this decision? What could you lose from it? These questions should weigh heavily on your mind whenever you need to decide on a critical business matter.

Hasty decisions, in their nature, often have us rushing into a situation where we think very little of the consequences. Sometimes, we even forget the benefits that convinced us to make such a choice. 

Trust your instincts

Most decisions can be a result of vetting on the perceived, but many more are a result of knee-jerk moments. 

Intuition is a strong feeling you can rely on. It’s not always right, but it usually won’t steer you into the wrong decision, either. Try to trust your gut if you feel this may be a decision that’s worth trying. Once you have trained your mind well enough, then you will find your problem solving coming more natural. 

All decisions should involve a similar process, large or small. The difference is how much time you spend evaluating them. Even a minor decision deserves proper thought put into it. 

It’s okay to let a decision simmer overnight; in fact, it is a good idea when faced with an important choice. However, there needs to be a balance between deciding urgently and when a delayed decision will pull your business down. 

There’s a point where it is better to move forward rather than to let a decision impede your progress. All you need to do is to weigh your options and train yourself to be critical — even when under pressure!