POLL: Biggest Challenge when Making Decisions

14 Sep 10 1:56 pm

If you're wondering more about what's behind this question, I am building a system to help guide people through the decision making process in an effort to help bring success and fulfillment to men and women in this world. Your participation will greatly help this effort.

16 Sep 10 3:54 am

I'm going to take a punt here and say that maybe you are having trouble getting replies because every decision that we make is unique and that all three options can apply at any one time.

Maybe a better question would be "what is your biggest influence when making a decision?"

Do you make decisions based on what is best for you, your family or someone else?

Do you make decisions based on what you know is right, what you want to do or what you think that others may want?

Chris

17 Sep 10 12:19 am

Boy, that is a loaded question! Decisions are being made all the time and mostly without us even realizing that we are making them! But 4 of our examples off the top of my head are;

- undergoing experimental surgery in another country to save our babies lives before they were born,
- allowing our son to have small amounts of radiation pumped through him for monitoring purposes,
- deciding to walk away from a family partnership with less than half the contracted amount
- leaving a very well paid job and career to be a better dad

Funny thing is, these were easy decisions to make because they were the 'right thing to do' in the scheme of things.

Our most difficult business decision this month has been where to spend our outsourcing budget - we have a pretty strict set of business rules, a very tight budget and our business decisions are ethically and financially driven. But we do our homework, get the information that we need and get on with it.

In everyday life we make decisions based on what is best for our family - we have decided to stay in our not so cool house because it is best place for our family and we will be mortgage free in 9 years. Other people would decided to 'mortgage up' and renovate, others would move to another area or different house. (Others wouldn't have bought it just because it wasn't cool :o)

Don't know if this helps or not...or even if you are still awake - I tend to ramble a bit......

Our lives are all so different, the decisions that we make will be different depending on our stage of life - most 19 year olds would be horrified at the choices 35 year olds have, most 35 year olds would love the choices that a 19 year old has!

We also have different goals, different experiences and different limitations on what we are prepared to sacrifice ....ask the person that is trying to lose weight but just can't give up that daily vanilla latte or the person that has $5 left in their cash budget and sees that this weeks lottery draw has reached $6 million.....

Ok way too far now - it's almost a blog post....

Chris

07 Oct 10 10:19 am

I decided some time ago that if I am to take a decision there is no point to procrastinate,I should just make it and get on with the results.Even procrastinating is a decision but a bad one I guess.

14 Oct 10 5:43 am

For me, whenever I have to make a big decision, I weigh it using the "pros and cons"....but, even afterwards, it is only human to hesitate, if you know that the right decision could be a painful one. I understand your point about procrastinating, and too many choices, etc..., but deep inside you should already know what it is you should do. It's just tough to actually do it, because people are afraid to lose something even if it means gaining something in return.

My advice? Grab a beer, grit your teeth and go for it. You may have some regrets and waver, but stand by whatever decision you make. It's not easy, but life is short and there is no time to procrastinate. Have a positive outlook and visualize a better future. : )