Make Decisions Confidently

Life is a journey of choices, and it is natural to want to make the very best choice. However, it can be challenging to make a decision when fear of making the wrong choice looms over you.

By understanding your decision-making style, you can choose with confidence. Most people have a few preferred styles of decision-making, which they might use in different settings, such as home or work.

Which of these styles do you resonate with?

Analytical: You do your research and gather as much information as possible so you can analyze the data and make a logical choice. It can take you a long time to make a decision, and you stick with your choice once it is made.

Intuitive: You trust your gut instincts and do not rely on external sources to guide your decision. You tend to make decisions quickly and are open to changing course if your intuition gets another nudge.

Directive: You immediately see a path and you take it, often without having considered the options. Once you have made a decision you stick to it and cannot be distracted from your goal.

Conceptual: You take your time to explore all possible options with creativity and consideration for the long-term and indirect impacts. As a big-picture thinker, you are interested in others' perspectives and open to modifying your plans, with careful consideration of course.

Behavioural: You strive for harmony and like to make decisions that make others happy. It takes you a long time to weigh up all the possible impacts and your decisions usually involve a lot of compromise. You are never really sure if you made the right decision or not.

Dependent: You like to run decisions by others, seeking their input and advice. You doubt your decisions and need regular reassurance. You often change your mind, usually because of someone’s reaction or comment.

Now that you know your decision-making style, here’s how you can strengthen it:

Analytical: Set yourself a time limit so you don’t end up down a rabbit hole feeling overwhelmed and without having made any headway on your decision.

Intuitive: Check in on your track record, does your intuition usually get it right or not? Consider seeking outside advice on occasion to balance your gut instincts.

Directive: Pause before you implement your decision and practice considering other options to see if you are missing opportunities.

Conceptual: Take care that your creativity doesn’t lead you off track, double-check that you are solving the actual problem.

Behavioural: Notice when you are compromising the integrity of your decision in pursuit of harmony and ask yourself which is the best choice.

Dependent: Practice making small decisions independently and seeking feedback afterwards, as your confidence grows start making larger decisions alone.

Armed with this deeper understanding of your personal decision-making style, you can practice being more confident in decisions every day.