Identifying the root cause

Every act of doing or not doing each day in our lives involves decision making. It is about what to choose, rather, what not to choose; which lies at the root of our indecision. More often, it is the fear of making a wrong decision that makes one not take any decision at all. Brian Tracy, a public speaker and self-help author had rightly said,” Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.”

Learn to handle indecision

To overcome the indecision, it helps to break the problem down into smaller bits and arrange them sequentially. It is also important not to be curbed down by the weight of expectations of those around us but stand tall with more confidence in one’s own abilities. One should try to change the perspective and reframe the problem. Reframing is a psychological technique of changing a perspective about something and many times we do it unconsciously. By gaining a different perspective on a problem we can gain distance from it and thus we can gain the opportunity to move forward from it.

Indecision arising out of the fear of making a wrong decision can be overcome by adopting a spirit of  realistic optimism.  Instead of always focusing on the worst thing that can happen we should have high hopes and focus on doing better. While focussing on the positive side, we should not neglect the worst case scenario either. Instead of looking at indecisions as a paralyzing problem we need to look at it as an opportunity to gain a broader perspective. The technique of “visualisation’ also helps us fortify our minds away from indecision. As we visualise the positive scenario, our thoughts  tends to convince our unconscious minds that it is true. A mental diet goes a long way in drawing us away from indecision.

 

Boons of effective decision making

Effective decision making skills gives us the edge in different aspects of our lives.It  helps in identifying and solving problems . It helps one achieve life goals with the right choices. It boosts confidence and self-esteem, leading to a more fulfilling and satisfying life. It enables one to become more creative and innovative, as he  considers and evaluates different opinions ,ideas and possibilities. As one thus hones his skills of decision making, it helps him to minimise errors with time. It is a key skill in leadership development.

 

How to improve your decision making skills

One needs a disciplined approach. The first step is to recognize the importance of decision-making and commit to developing this skill. Start by gathering all the necessary information related to the situation. This helps in making a well-informed decision. Identify your goal, having weighed the pros and cons.Consider all alternatives and  their potential outcomes before arriving at a decision. Be open to accept the possibility of failure as well. Also, amidst the facts and analysis, one should not forget to trust his intuition. Finally, take action, be adaptable and be ready to learn from your experience.

 

About the authors

The article has been contributed by the following students from St. Joseph’s High School, Matigara, Darjeeling: Sheyasri Bhowmick, Shridatri Acharjee, Aratrika Narayan, Debopama Bhattacharjee, Samraggi Dutta and Ujjwani Ghosh.