Life is filled with choices and decisions. Many of these are minor, but there are also times when we face difficult decisions. But even though good decision making is enormously important when we face significant decisions, it's also important to make good decisions all of the time.

Compulsory and Optional Decisions

There are many different kinds of decisions, of course, from the very concrete to the very vague. There are also decisions which must be made, and those that can be put off or not decided at all.

Sometimes, a concrete decision is required. You have to decide if you want to keep living in that house before the mortgage comes due, or a decision will be made for you (foreclosure). But other decision situations are optional: you can decide if you want to change your life style, your car, or where you live. Your decisions fall into one of these two categories.

But either way, compulsory or optional, you're usually faced with some choice in decision making. Even if you must make a decision, you usually can choose how you implement it.

Decision Making in Real Life

Your decisions are no doubt limited by many real life constraints -- finances, relationships, jobs, and other things over which you don't have full control. These make up the backdrop against which your decisions are made. Making life more complicated, there's often more than one "correct" decision, and more than one "wrong" choice." But there are certainly guides to decision making that can help you to think about and arrive at -- not the "right" decision -- but an appropriate and effective decision.

Making Appropriate Decisions

As you think about appropriate decisions, consider the fact that many of your choices have consequences, certainly to yourself and possibly to others. As you think about decisions, consider three factors:

 

	Responsibility. Some decisions are not really choices at all, but requirements, especially when attached to personal responsibility. If you're a parent, for instance, you must ensure the health and safety of your children. Especially consider who will be affected by your decisions and for whom you may be responsible.
	Spontaneity versus Impetuousness. Sometimes there's no reason to not act on a whim or make a quick choice. Actually, it's healthy to be spontaneous at times. On the other hand, acting without thinking can be impetuous and fool hardy. As you make decisions, think about the difference between being spontaneous and being impetuous.
	Long Term Effects. Take into account that decisions you make now may have effects that stay with you a long time. Buying a new wardrobe of clothes, seeking a new career, or moving from one home to another in the same community may involve some deep decision making, but none represent necessarily radical changes. Selling your home and moving to another state or giving up your job are far more significant decisions in terms of their long term impact, and are often difficult decisions to later reverse.

Steps to Effective Decision Making

It's especially valuable to have a guide to decision making. Here are some simple steps to follow as you first think about, and then make decisions. - Recognize that you have choices in the first place. Most of the time, you're not simply a recipient of the way things "have" to be.

 

	Consider the nature of the problem that you're trying to resolve. Every decision is a response to a situation: what is the issue, problem, or situation you need to address?
	Think of all the possible choices you have. List every possible choice, including the outlandish ones. Be creative -- what decisions could be made?
	List the rational and realistic choices. Break your list of possible decisions into those that are really unrealistic and those that are possible.
	Evaluate your choices. Think about the possible decisions that you can realistically make. Which most fit the circumstances of the problem you're trying to resolve, and the circumstances of your life? If only one choice comes up, you may even come up with a clear decision at this point.
	Consequences. What are the down sides to your possible choices? Who will be affected, and how? How will your possible choices affect your life, your finances, and your relationships?
	Reflection. Think about the decision you're planning to make: what will it feel like to actually make that choice? What will it feel like to not make that choice? Is the decision you're pondering permanent or is it reversible?
	Thinking Things Through. It's important to have a way to consider choices, think them through, and have a process by which to make well considered decisions. The more important the decision, the more important the decision making process.

References:

Dawes, R. (1991). "Rational Choice in an Uncertain World." Fort Worth: TX:Harcourt Brace College.

Dawson, R. (1995 ). "The Confident Decision Maker."New York: William Morrow.

Freeman, A., & DeWolf, R. (1993). "The Ten Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them." New York: Harper Perennial Library.

Goldstein, W. M., & Hogarth, R. M. (Eds). (1997). "Research on Judgment and Decision Making: Currents, Connections, and Controversies." New York: Cambridge University Press.

Hogarth, R. M. (1987) "Judgement and Choice: The Psychology of Decision." New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Plous, S. (1993). "The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making." New York: McGraw Hill.

Russo, J. E., & Shoemaker, P. J.H. (1990). "Decision Traps: Ten Barriers to Brilliant Decision Making and How to Overcome Them." New York: Fireside (Simon & Schuster).

11/24/99