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Actions to Make Quick Decisions. Chronic unproductivity requires an inaccurate belief system, poor attitudes, and many years of honing an overall system that guarantees failure.
It’s a skill.
It’s not easy to come up short like clockwork. Those that fail consistently are true experts that have mastered their craft.
The good news is that it’s just as easy to be successful!
Success requires the same commitment to consistency. It’s only necessary to be consistent with a different set of actions. If ineffectiveness comes naturally to you, it’s likely you have what it takes to be a great success, too.
If you are feeling like you are ineffective in life and your business, you’ll be glad to read on and uncover 13 easy strategies you can use to reverse these habits!
1. Fail to Make Decisions
If you’re truly committed to ending up nowhere, never decide. In fact, failing to decide is the same as choosing chaos and failure.
Life is messy.
Not making decisions invites chaos into your life.
The only way to combat the disorder, or entropy, which exists throughout the universe, is to make decisions and work toward them in a productive fashion.
2. Do you make poor decisions?
Poor decisions are the equivalent of starting a journey in the wrong direction. You might get there, but it’s going to be a long journey. Consider how a few poor decisions can create significant challenges in your life.
3. Trust your gut.
When it comes to making big decisions, it’s often best to trust your heart. Be logical with the little decisions but go with your gut on the big decisions. Most of the challenges you’ve faced started with a poor decision. Give your decisions the reverence they deserve. Avoid procrastinating but make wise decisions. Your success in life will grow.
4. Flip a coin.
No, you’re not going to leave a big decision to chance. Flip a coin and then check your emotions. Before you look at the coin, you’ll notice that part of you is hoping for a particular result. That’s your answer!
5. Consider your ideal life.
If you don’t have a vision for your life, create one now. Consider where you want to be. It’s much easier to choose a path once you know where you’re going. Align your decisions with that objective.
6. Do a benefit/cost analysis.
Make a list of pros and cons and make an intelligent decision based upon the facts. Think about the short-term and long-term implications. Those that struggle sacrifice the future for short-term benefit or relief.
7. If all else fails, let a wise friend choose for you.
Everyone has that friend who lives a charmed life. Ask for advice and follow it. Just be sure you’re not trying to avoid taking responsibility for your life. A wise friend can be of great help if you’re truly stuck.
8. Change Your Mind Frequently?
The best way to never get any traction in life is to either never decide, or to change your mind constantly. Regularly changing your plans is a great way to feel like you’re doing something without ever making any progress. It’s ingenious.
You know the type. The person that decides she’s going to medical school, and then decides three months later to become a musician. She buys a guitar and decides to become a professional blogger before the first set of strings is worn out. It’s insidious.
This person feels like she’s doing great things.
She has big plans, and any of them could be viable. However, they’ll never be fruitful unless she can stick with the plan.
Realize how ineffective it is to change your mind constantly.
It’s no different than starting in Sydney, driving three hours towards Melbourne, then three hours towards Batemans Bay, and then three hours toward Albury.
Where do you end up?
Not a place you planned to go, and not somewhere you want to be.
9. Make a habit of following through.
It’s easier to maintain bigger decisions if you maintain your smaller decisions. Follow through on your plans to meet your friends. When you clean the garage, clean the entire garage. Wash all the dishes, even the crusty frying pan. Avoid leaving it until morning.
Imagine a positive outcome.
When you’re feeling bogged down, it’s because the present is uncomfortable. Turn your attention to the ideal outcome. The doubt and frustration you’re feeling will melt away.
Stay grounded in the present.
You can only change your mind if your mind starts to wander. Pay attention to today. Avoid looking ahead at all the work that lies in the future. Successfully manage each day as it comes.
It’s not necessary to make perfect decisions.
Many decisions can work out well if you stick with them. Persistence is an invaluable quality. Make your decisions quickly and wisely. Most importantly, avoid changing your mind unnecessarily.
10. Only Have a Short-Term Focus
Is it more enjoyable to eat a banana split or a tofu sandwich on whole-grain bread? Is it more pleasurable to watch your favourite old movie for the ninth time or to spend that time at the gym? One option is much more enjoyable in the short term but adds to your long-term pain.
The best long-term choices aren’t much fun in the short term. It’s a cruel joke.
This mindset is the primary cause of procrastination.
Instead of asking yourself what would feel good right now, ask yourself what you can do right now that will benefit you in the future. One salad sandwich in place of a cheeseburger might not have an impact today, but it will make a huge difference if you make it a habit.
11. Maintain a long-term focus.
Imagine your decision replicated every day for the next five years. What would be the logical result? Imagine eating that banana split each day for five, long years. Will your physique and health be better or worse?
What’s pleasurable in the short term is often detrimental in the long term.
12. Blame Others or the Circumstances
It’s easy to be remarkably unsuccessful by blaming others. The other downside is that there’s nothing you can do if someone else is at fault. The best you can do is hope they’ll step up and fix the situation for you.
However, when you take responsibility, you give yourself permission and the motivation to resolve your challenges.
It’s possible that you:
had horrible parents
were made fun of by your primary school teacher
had a boss that enjoyed making you miserable
lack talent
lack education
are old or young
The list goes on.
If you want to be successful, it’s important to take responsibility for everything in your life, good or bad.
While the circumstances may not be your fault, no one else will take responsibility for improving the situation. You can fix anything if you’re willing to hold yourself responsible. Any other perspective creates a sense of helplessness.
Even if you lack talent, education, or opportunities, using those as excuses accomplishes nothing. A lack of talent can be overcome with hard work. A lack of education can’t stand up to a library full of books. Create your own opportunities.
No one’s parents attended formal parenting school. Even if you were horribly mistreated, the only sensible option is to let it go and get on with your life.
Realize that your past choices have resulted in your current situation. Your current choices will determine your future situation.
Avoid blaming outside issues for your predicament. Take control of your life by taking responsibility for everything in your life. The saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s just as accurate to say, “With great responsibility comes great power.”
Lastly, try these 3 actions to make quick decisions:
1) Set a deadline.
Give yourself enough time to decide and then force yourself to make one. The deadline might be 1 minute or a month but set a reasonable deadline to gather the necessary information and make a choice.
2) Know your values.
What’s most important to you? Do any of your options resonate more clearly with your values than the others?
3) Know your goals.
Make your decisions in line with your goals and you’ll rarely make a poor choice.
About the author:
Hey there my name is Kathie, I've been in the business world for over 25 years, steering various ventures to success with turnovers of up to 3 million dollars. It all started when I was 27, and since then, I've been fully committed to making businesses not just run but thrive. After two decades of immersing myself in product-focused ventures, I decided to take it to the next level. I launched my own business consultancy, with a clear mission: helping businesses and non-profits grow. My secret sauce? Strategic thinking and a solid commitment to seeing people not just survive but excel. I have a track record to prove it. Taking businesses from ground zero to six figures has been my specialty. How did I do it? Well, chalk it up to thinking strategically, a clear plan, consistency, resilience, adaptability, and a good old dose of stubborn determination.
I've got the scars and the stories to back it up. Like to know more? Say Hello. x Kathie