Making Decisions

From Fast Company

Successful people recognize that there are small, medium, and big decisions. “Small decisions impact you for a day, such as what you wear and what you eat,” says Whitaker. “Medium decisions impact your life for a year or so, such as deciding to go back to school or take on a roommate. They affect your life, but they aren’t crash-and-burn moments.” Successful people don’t spend a lot of mind share on small decisions. “They have fun with them,” says Whitaker. “You’ll make 150 small decisions a day. There is room to play with the consequences because they’re low.” Bigger decisions are made once or twice a year, and successful people use their goals to navigate to the right choice. Knowing your goals is key, and Whitaker says successful people have four strategies that help them clearly define what they want.

  1. They keep five prime goals and stay focused on them.
  2. They identify the top priority and give it favorable treatment when making decisions.
  3. They look for goal and decision overlap, treating this decision with more care.
  4. They appreciate momentum, identifying the benefits of continuing to move in the right direction.