Decision-making sometimes can be very difficult, especially when it's about making major decisions that could change our lives. There are simple decisions that we make daily without stretching ourselves, such as, What will I cook today, this or that? What to wear and the like—these are simple, and we can casually make decisions about them. However, there are some decisions we take in life today that will determine our fate tomorrow, and those types of decisions are usually very sensitive and should be approached diligently; otherwise, they can make or mar us.
Over the years, I have made some wrong decisions in life and reaped the consequences of them. Most of these decisions, I hate to remember them because if I had taken my time to do the right thing, I may not have had so many regrets. I also understand that sometimes, even with an adequate process, things may still not fall in place the way we envisioned it, but it's still better than taking decisions reluctantly or in a haste without thinking through them. Life kept teaching me lessons through experience, and that alone has greatly shaped how I make major decisions. I have also learned from the experience of others combined with mine, and that affected my decision-making process without going to learn it as a course anywhere.
Now, everyone has different approaches for their decision-making process. Personally, there are some things I now observe before making major decisions in my life. The first thing is to understand why I am making that decision. What do I want to achieve or perhaps change? I will also kind of critically analyze the possible good or bad side of that decision . If I should do it this way, will it affect anyone negatively? Especially when it's a decision that involves a business in a particular locality. Overall, my first stage is understanding the "why" and my purpose.
The next action is to check if there's a need to consult others in that particular decision. One thing I have learned recently was never to do things that I don't have proper clarity on or do things that I have limited knowledge about. Just like I said before, I have also learned through the experience of others. In some cases, that kind of experience is very valuable, and all I need is to humble myself and grab it instead of playing one-man business. People who have gone through the same path before must have experienced both the rocky path and the smooth part of a similar thing I want to embark on, and consulting them can simply make my journey easier and minimize my risk level. Also, not in every case do I involve others; sometimes, depending on what the issue is, I know that no one can tell me what I really want except myself; their opinion will just be there to guide me.
Most times , I also gather as much information as I can concerning the decision I am about to make before finally deciding, and right now, I wish I had done this before choosing my course of study at the university many years ago. Gathering information helps me analyze properly and make an informed decision. It's a process I don't skip these days while making a major decision that would shape my future.
Finally, I make room for what "ifs," like alternative backup. In case things don't just flow exactly the way I planned it. I make sure not to be too rigid with my planning but rather create room for adjustment whenever necessary.
Overall, it's not an easy-peasy task to make major decisions, but when you approach it with more intentionality, achieving desirable results becomes feasible.