8 Ways to Make Decisions

8 ways to make decisions

1. Experiment

• Decision-making mechanism: try something new, something you haven't had experience with before.
• Prerequisites: the presence of a fundamentally new way of acting, readiness to take risks, lose time and money in an acceptable amount, the ability to prepare a "safety cushion" or a backup option in case of failure.
• Advantages: the low cost of error, since there is a moral readiness that it may not work out (you are trying something you have no experience with) and an alternative plan has been thought out in advance. Courage, drive, search interest, the ability to get a quick result that will exceed expectations.
• Disadvantages: not suitable for cases when the cost of an unsuccessful experiment exceeds the possible benefit, when there is no "safety cushion" or the result is expected after a long period of time, because over a long distance the drive of the discoverer and faith in success are lost.

2. Past experience

• Decision-making mechanism: we rely on knowledge and conclusions obtained in the past independently or based on the analysis of others' mistakes and successes.
• Necessary conditions: the ability to correctly draw analogies and benefit from positive and negative results, critical thinking, extensive experience in a given area.
• Advantages: predictability of the result, confidence, resource state based on past successes, the ability to correctly assess risks, quick analysis of the situation using analogies, a proven mechanism of action.
• Disadvantages: a limited set of situations in which there is experience, template actions, missed opportunities to achieve the result in a more effective way.

3. Expectations, desires

• Decision-making mechanism: there is a clear idea of the desired result, the image of the future, and we wait for a favorable moment, cutting off all the options that do not suit our desires.
• Necessary conditions: understanding in detail what we want and what we are willing to pay for it. A goal that inspires us, and we do only what brings us closer to it. Observation, analysis and patience. Readiness to act quickly when favorable circumstances arise.
• Advantages: no fuss and doubts, accumulation of resources, the ability to achieve the goal in the most effective way.
• Disadvantages: uncertainty in terms, the risk of "burning out" from a long wait, a high level of responsibility and regret about missed opportunities if desires or priorities change.

4. Calling and Values

• Decision-making mechanism: we make a choice that does not contradict our value system and corresponds to our calling.

• Necessary conditions: the presence of a value system and setting priorities in it, understanding what is a personal calling - what a person lives and works for. Patience and the ability to refuse an outwardly attractive option that does not correspond to internal principles.

• Advantages: harmony with oneself, no doubts about the correctness of actions, guaranteed results, awareness of one's significance, the importance and necessity of what you do, inspiration.
• Disadvantages: external pressure and conflicts with others who do not share the value system, the search for compromises, delayed results, missed opportunities due to the inadmissibility of deviating from principles.

5. Intuition

• Decision-making mechanism: we listen to ourselves, our feelings, and make a decision based on intuition, which manifests itself individually for each person and is difficult to explain in words.
• Necessary conditions: well-developed intuition, attentiveness to one's own feelings, a high degree of trust in oneself and one's feelings.
• Advantages: speed, the ability to find a unique creative solution, anticipation of events, the ability to be in the right place at the right time, luck, safety and a chance to avoid serious trouble.
• Disadvantages: conflict with common sense, doubts, since intuition can be confused with other feelings. Does not work "on request", for some it does not work at all.

6. Fatalism and Destiny

• Decision-making mechanism: ask a question and toss a coin, spin the roulette wheel or look for some signs that will answer our question.
• Necessary conditions: faith in a happy Destiny and Luck, readiness for the fact that the option offered by the coin will not be the most pleasant or logical of all possible, the ability to take risks and an easy attitude to losing, humility.
• Advantages: simplicity and high speed of decision-making, freedom from doubts, reduced responsibility for the consequences and no sense of guilt if it suddenly doesn’t work out, ease and a feeling of support from the Higher Powers in the correctness of your actions, as if you are following your own Path.
• Disadvantages: conflict with common sense and logic, the likelihood of losing something significant, including trust in the world. Not suitable for situations where the decision may harm other people.

7. Logic, Analysis

• Decision-making mechanism: collection, systematization and analysis of data, forecasting options, calculating the pros and cons for each option.
• Necessary conditions: sufficient time, the ability to collect complete and reliable information, logical thinking, the ability to use analytical tools.
• Advantages: objectivity of results, trust in the choice made, confidence, high degree of predictability, consideration of possible risks.
• Disadvantages: limited variability, the likelihood of missing important details, hidden influencing factors. Not suitable for situations where a decision must be made under conditions of limited time, insufficient information or frequently changing circumstances with many variables.

8. Emotions, feelings

• Decision-making mechanism: we proceed from the subjective emotional assessment of “like-dislike”.
• Necessary conditions: the ability to distinguish between your feelings, self-confidence, recognition of the value of emotions as a personal barometer of “good-bad”.
• Advantages: quick decision-making, harmony with yourself, emotional choice helps to make life more pleasant and easier.
• Disadvantages: can cause conflicts with others, especially if the choice concerns decisions in the professional sphere and affects the interests of other people. Negative consequences are likely if the situation is related to health and safety issues.

Each person uses 2-3 main methods from the list provided, depending on the characteristics of their character and field of activity. But situations are different, and the usual methods may turn out to be ineffective - then it is worth trying something new. And the best thing is to learn to mix different options for making decisions and choose them with pleasure!