Indecisiveness is futile- but making impactful and important decisions can be difficult. I know. Trust me. We are often forced to make decisions without complete information. Any mathematician (like myself) loves to make decisions based on formulas, data, and concrete assumptions.
Unfortunately, life and business don’t always present challenges that way (you know – with all that data presented nice and neatly for you).
How can you ease the process? (and stop wearing the finish off your wood floors from pacing)
Broaden your focus
If you start thinking too narrowly, you may miss out on the real solution that best fits your challenge. Try a few options at once and than narrow once you have more information.
“What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head? You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty six other things.”
– Harvey Specter
Talk to someone who’s solved a similar problem
Read books, articles, journals: there’s a plethora of information available and it’s easier to access than ever. Find a mentor: learn from someone else’s stumbles and triumphs.
Ask disconfirming questions
We often like to find information that backs up our original ‘decision’. Consider what would happen if you chose the opposite and even test your assumptions with a deliberate mistake.
Be okay with being wrong, and know it will likely happen
(and then adjust your decision) The future is uncertain and you have to be open to making wrong decisions. Don’t be overconfident. You will continually be faced with problems and it can help to set a trigger that makes you stop and re-evaluate.
So, what are you going to do next?