Summary: We’ve all made decisions that we wish we could take back. In fact, as soon as I said that, you were most likely able to think of a decision that was the 22nd best choice available to you in that moment, yet you still chose it. Making bad decisions will happen, but the important part is to learn from them and begin making better decisions in the future. But, how?<br> Here are four ways to begin making better decisions, right now:<br> <br> Believe that you can make a difference. <br> At the core of taking action is the belief that one can make a difference. It’s why people start new businesses, it’s why people protest the system based on their beliefs, and it’s the only reason that change in this world takes place. I know that when I haven’t believed that I could make a real difference in this world, I chose the easy way out, instead of the best way. And as you already know, the easy way isn’t always the best way. However, it is when you truly believe that you can make a difference in the world that putting in the necessary effort becomes worth the extra energy.<br> Leave yourself more time for better decisions to take place.<br> Taking the best way has usually meant that I needed to put more work in, and it was going to take longer, so there has been many times that I opted for the easiest decision instead. Making better decisions means making the right decision, no matter how much effort is needed.<br> And sometimes you may feel that you need to make a quick decision, but this may just be a misconception. You may have more time to make a decision than you think. Yes, there are times where we must make quick decisions, but it’s important to differentiate between the times where quickness is beneficial to decision making, and where taking the time to evaluate the situation is more important than a speedy answer.<br> Surround yourself with people who are already making better decisions. <br> Motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said, “You are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with,” and for good reason. <a href="http://theidproject.org/blog/kipp-efinger/2012/02/06/thoughts-are-contagious">Thought processes</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2009/11/bad-decisions-may-be-contagious">decision making techniques</a> are contagious. This being said, if you spend enough time with people who are making better decisions, you will pick up on how they come to such solutions, and will begin to adopt their practices. Of course, the same idea applies to making bad decisions, so this is why Rohn’s advice is so important. When you learn from better decision makers, you will reap the benefits greatly.<br> Take all possible outcomes into consideration before making your final decision. <br> Sometimes the easiest way to know if your time and effort will be worth the struggle is to ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” If making a wrong decision doesn’t bring about much grief or heartache, then why not give it a try? Experimenting with all possible outcomes isn’t a bad thing, but you must evaluate the risk versus the reward to know if your decisions are even worth your time in the first place.<br> Now, go and make better decisions, today. <br>
