17 Ways to Make Decisions

Some make products.

Some make sales.

Brilliant people make decisions.

As if choosing wasn’t hard enough. Acting on choices is harder.

I’ve studied highly successful people for 30 years. Being a decision-maker leaps out as one of the key characteristics of brilliant people.

Here are 17 ways to make better decisions:

1. Gather data.
   Boring, but essential.

2. Don’t fear the consequence.
   Terrifying, but true.

3. Tune into your intuition.

The master skill.

4. Hear others.
   Really listen.

5. Play the scenarios.
   What if…?

6. Avoid social pressure.

Doing the right thing vs how you look.

7. Consider the opposite.
   Smart people can simultaneously hold opposing views.

8. Move on.
   You will make wrong decisions. Next.

9. Think on paper.

Use color, be playful.

10. Meditate on it.
    Your brain will be more effective.

11. Let someone else decide.
    Can you delegate it?

12. Reduce your options.

Aim for an either/or scenario.

13. Stay focused.
    It’s too easy to be distracted. Wow, look at that…

14. Play with time.
    How will this look in one month, week, year?

15. Sleep on it.

What a difference a night makes.

16. Avoid making decisions when you’re stressed.
    Tough, I know.

17. Ask others.
    Please share your ideas on how you make decisions below.

I love lists of 17. The last 7 always make you think harder, dig deeper and challenge your thinking.

Be Brilliant!

Michael