Making decisions effectively
that lead to success
Smart choices
People make choices all day long. According to Columbia University research, they average at least 70 a day. How do you know if your choice is the right decision? Many of the choices are small: what you wear, what you cook. Some choices, however, have larger impacts on your life. Are you moving, applying for a job or investing in something new? With such decisions, you want to be sure you choose carefully. Yet people often make weaker choices than they think.
Princeton University research shows that we are guided by heuristics, unconscious rules of thumb. Someone without a clear political preference is more likely to judge a candidate on appearance than on substance. Other research, including that conducted by Utrecht University, shows that people are bad at judging. Participants in the study were asked to choose the most advantageous health insurance, but did not do better than might be expected based on the probability of guessing. This has to do with the way our brains process information.
The brain
The brain processes information through two routes: the heuristic route and the systematic route. The heuristic route is automatic, driven by rules of thumb and takes little energy. The systematic route requires concentration, motivation and space in your working memory. You use this route only when you are fit and have time to reflect.
Fatigue or information overload makes you more likely to fall back on the automatic route. As a result, you are more likely to make decisions that, in retrospect, were less helpful. Your mood also plays a role. According to neuropsychologist Sung Lai Yuen, people take more risks when they feel positive than when they are gloomy.
Strategic decision-making
Some successful leaders consciously limit their daily choices. Barack Obama wore only gray or blue suits, Steve Jobs chose a black turtleneck daily, and Mark Zuckerberg rarely goes out the door without a hoodie. By making a fixed choice for their clothing, they conserve mental energy for more complex decisions.
Companies are smartly capitalizing on this. Online retailer Amazon helps customers by having their frequently ordered products, such as shampoo, delivered automatically, eliminating routine choices and allowing people to devote their attention to other things. Simplifying small choices creates more room for strategic thinking and better decision-making.
Every choice affects your life and others. That’s why it helps to know how to sharpen your decisions and how to prioritize. Want to discover how to choose more consciously, prioritize more strongly and decide more clearly? Then check out the training course The Art of Choosing.
