Do you wish you could be more assertive in your decision making? Is self-doubt preventing you from making important decisions? Does being indecisive mean you miss out on great opportunities?
Every day, we are faced with decisions. Sometimes the decisions we make have very little impact, like deciding what to have for breakfast. Other times our decisions can have a significant impact, like deciding whether to have a baby, get a divorce, move to a new house or change jobs.
In business, our decisions can make or break us. They can mean the difference between growing a company or having to wind it down.
If you consider yourself an indecisive person or you are currently struggling to make a big decision, don’t worry. Here are my tips for being more assertive in your decision making.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Don’t waste precious time worrying about the small decisions like choosing a restaurant or picking a birthday gift. If the outcome of your decision is unlikely to have a major impact then it really isn’t worth worrying about.
Ask yourself; “What’s the worst that can happen?”
You might make a bad choice. Will it really be that bad? If you are underdressed or overdressed for an event, who cares? You might feel a little uncomfortable for the first few minutes but you’ll get through it.
Make a worst-case scenario plan
Decide what the worst-case scenario could be and how likely it is. If you think there is a good chance your decision could cause problems, then make a different choice or put a contingency plan in place.
List the pros and cons of each outcome
If you have a big decision to make then write a list of the pros and cons of each option. Listing all the pros and cons on paper helps you see the best outcome more clearly.
Get the right opinions
You may need to ask for advice or opinions from other people. This can be useful as they may raise a point you haven’t thought of. Don’t be tempted to ask too many people though or you could end up with more options than you started with. People may have their own vested interest in your decision so be aware of these and get impartial advice too.
Make the decision
Sometimes you can spend too long weighing up the options and not really getting anywhere. Going back and forth on an idea will make it harder to come to a solid decision. In business, it can make you look indecisive and cause your employees to doubt your capabilities. Bite the bullet and make the decision.
Make the decision then move on
You’ve made the decision. Take the necessary action and move on. Don’t dwell on, ‘what if’. You’ll only damage your confidence and make it harder to make decisions going forward. You made your decision for a reason, so keep that reason in mind. If it turns out it was a bad decision then you can cross that bridge when you come to it.
Need help with a decision?
I hope my tips have helped you feel more confident about making decisions. As a life coach for business owners, I often work with clients who are at a crossroads and have big decisions to make. This could be a business or career decision, a relationship decision or a life-changing decision. If you’d like me to help you become more confident at making decisions then I’d love to hear from you.
Contact me today to start moving forward.