Making Better Decisions

Every day you make hundreds of decisions. Most are small and automatic. But some decisions shape the trajectory of your life: who you marry, what career you pursue, how you spend your time and money. These choices compound over years into the life you end up living.

Good decision-making isn't about being smart. It's about having a process that accounts for your blind spots, considers what matters, and leads to choices you won't regret.

What Gets in the Way

Emotion: Strong feelings in the moment distort judgment. Anger, fear, excitement all cloud thinking.

Short-term thinking: What feels good now often isn't what's good long-term. Instant gratification is the enemy of wise choices.

Avoiding discomfort: The easy choice is often the wrong choice. Growth lives on the other side of discomfort.

Lack of clarity: If you don't know what you value, you can't make decisions aligned with it.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your decisions. Every major problem you face is either caused by a bad decision or will be solved by a good one.

A Framework for Decisions

Define the real decision: What are you actually choosing between? Get specific. Vague decisions lead to vague outcomes.

Identify your values: What matters most to you? Faith, family, health, integrity. Decisions should align with values.

Consider long-term consequences: Where does each option lead in 5 years? 10 years? Think past the immediate.

Get outside perspective: You have blind spots. Wise counsel sees what you can't. Ask people who'll tell you the truth.

Don't decide under pressure: If possible, sleep on major decisions. Urgency is often manufactured.

Decide and commit: Endless deliberation is its own decision. At some point, you have to choose and move forward.

Questions to Ask

• What would I advise a friend to do in this situation?
• What will I wish I had done when I look back in 10 years?
• Am I avoiding something uncomfortable that I actually need to face?
• Who will this decision affect, and have I considered them?
• Does this align with who I want to become?

Your Action Steps

This week: Identify a decision you've been avoiding. Apply the framework above. Move toward a choice.

This month: For any significant decision, get input from at least two trusted people before deciding.

This quarter: Review major decisions you've made. What can you learn? What patterns do you see?