Are you really in control of your decision making?
I believe I’ve written an article about decision making before, but because it its so very important to the fulfillment of our lives a would like to address it again.
We make decisions every day, thousands of them really. Little ones that we don’t even think about, its just going about our daily business like the clothes we choose to wear, the coffee we drink, star bucks or a Timmies, to whether we hit the snooze button on the alarm in the morning or sleep ten more minutes. Our lives are jam packed with decisions and with so much decision making, we should be really great at making them, right? But we are not, we’ve never really been taught how to make decisions.
Did you know most everything you eat, wear, where you live, the way you decorate your house, the job you hold and the school you attended, has in some part been decided for you. It has all been done through Parents, education, and clever advertising.
Feeling kinda sheepish, you’re not alone!
Here is an example from my own life.
Years ago, everyone had Formica countertops, in our bathrooms and kitchens they were perfectly functional, cheap and easy to install. BUT when it came time to choose countertops for our kitchen and bathroom renovations, I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of Formica countertops, they had to be granite, quartz or a stone of some kind. Now the question is doing the Formica work as well as the stone counter? Answer is yes!
Of course, you could argue that the stone has some advantages over the Formica, like it will last longer heat resistant and just so beautiful, but truthfully stone does have its draw backs too, it chips, cand crack under heat and need annual maintenance (depending on h stone you choose)
The point being, is the decision for stone countertops was made for me through the fashion and design industry.
All this to say, when we are presented with a really big decisions and we haven’t practiced making decisions we often don know how so we look around us and instead of asking for guidance from a professional we ask it from those closest to us and unfortunately, they usually know about as little as you do about the topic.
Three steps to great decision making.
1. know what it is that you want. Is there a particular outcome you are expecting? Be specific about the results you want. In other words, spend some time quietly with yourself, blocking out everyone else’s voices and opinions and really consider what it is you want.
2. Do your research, from both sides of the coin. Know what you’re talking about, think it through thoroughly. but remember sometimes what you want may seem unrealistic to those around you so know your self; how bad do you want it?
3. Seek support from a professional. We all need a little help sometimes and learning from someone who has taken the time to become good at what they do, is the fast track to your goal. Someone who has been there and done it is your store house of knowledge to avoiding beginners pitfalls!
Once again Dave and I are here for you, to help you create the life that you have planned, its not just about financial planning its about Whole Picture Planning!
