In the preceding series of posts, I presented a process I use for making key decisions. Now I will present a brief summary of those posts.

• We struggle with some decisions because…
  • There are too many choices
  • The apparent choices are all bad
  • The apparent choices seem all equally good
  • Loss Aversion – we fear risking something we have for something we want
  • Fear of being wrong
  • Fear of being criticized
• Poor decision making process results in…
  • Regret
  • Unintended consequences
• Good decision making process will…
  • Eliminate decision paralysis
  • Reduce stress
  • Keep you moving forward
  • Eliminate regret
  • Look at decisions as a “portfolio” instead of isolated events
• The process in 8 steps…
  • Begin with the end in mind – know your desired outcomes and how you will measure success
  • Analyze your alternatives – there may be more than you think!
  • Identify and mitigate risks
  • Distance yourself from short-term emotion
  • Create contingency plans
  • Make the decision
  • Evaluate the outcomes
  • Evaluate the process

Try using the process on your next key decision. Tweak it as needed for your specific circumstances. Leave some comments on this post as to what worked and what didn’t.