From Dr. Jane's Notebook

How do you make decisions?

Decisions, decisions, decisions! Each day is filled with decisions and most of the time; we make good decisions, even excellent ones. But some of our decisions don’t work out quite the way we want. I know a lot of people who have made decisions they regret. Maybe they didn’t choose the right kind of work, maybe they think they married the wrong person, maybe some error in judgment will affect the rest of their lives. We’ve all made decisions right and wrong. While we can’t be right all of the time, maybe it’s time to consider how we make decisions. For that, we must understand how we think.

Looking out, looking in. Take a moment to consider where you focus your attention. When we look around us, we go external and focus on the world outside ourselves, taking in information from what we hear, see and experience. When we close our eyes, and even when we don’t, we can shift our focus to the world inside of us where we integrate our thoughts and experiences. If we only pay attention to things outside of ourselves, our decisions may be based solely on reflex. But if we only think and fail to notice things around us, it is possible to jump to conclusions that are not based on the current reality.
Looking forward, looking back. It is truly a miracle that our minds store memories. When we make decisions, it is useful to be informed by our past experiences, and useful to imagine the results of our decisions in the future. However, getting stuck in either the past or future thinking can hamper us. Since learning accumulates, you probably already have all the tools you need to make your best decisions if you focus in the now!
Facts vs. feelings. When it’s time to make decisions, we can rely on our two sources of information. External sources include other people, consumer information guides, books, and the internet. Internal sources include our gut reactions, emotions, and prior experiences. Again, when making decisions, it is usually best to consider both. If we rely strictly on information from sources other than ourselves, we may make choices that don’t really fit for us. On the other hand, decisions made strictly on the basis of feelings may not turn out the way we expect. For this reason, it is best to take both facts and feelings into account.
Hasty vs. patient. Finally, it is valuable to think about the speed with which you make your best decisions. Some decisions are easy to make; sometimes it’s okay to be impulsive. But other decisions have long-term effects and should be made with great care. Problems arise when we spend too much time on the simple decisions and too little time on complicated ones.

Again, we can’t be right all of the time but it’s possible to feel more confident in your decisions when you have covered “all your bases”. Clear thinking is a skill which can be improved. When faced with a difficult decision, try writing down your thoughts along these dimensions. Look inside and outside of yourself, consider the past, consider the future, check your facts and your feelings, and then whenever possible, make your decisions within a time frame which is comfortable for you. Each of us has a lot of decisions to make in life. The real trick is to make your best decision before it gets made for you!

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