To be better at making hard choices 12 things can help.

Each day we make decisions, most are trivial with minimal consequences.

Occasionally those choices are massive with huge implications.

It’s hard enough when those decisions make our life difficult. But when those choices impact people we love, the stress can seem insurmountable.

So, when you’re feeling overwhelmed with big decisions, what’s the secret to staying calm and making the right choice?

There’s no easy formula, but we can rely on emotional instincts to guide our way.

Taping into our common sense, trusted advisors and intuition is a great place to start.

"Stay committed to your decisions but stay flexible in your approach." Tony Robbins

Here’s a dozen useful tools to help alleviate the pressure of making tough choices. 

We need to trust our intuition.

When we feel disconnected from our self, tough choices become more challenging.

We need to step back and listen carefully to the subtle whisper of our instincts.

Breathe deep and close our eyes. Tap into our intuition as it tries to speak.

We need to meditate and listen

When we have tough choices to make, pause and reflect. Meditate and give yourself space to breathe.

Get anchored in the present moment and ask yourself for guidance. Write down your feelings if it helps and reflect on your own wisdom. 

We need to think about how our decision will make us feel

Spending time ascertaining what our core values are is critically important.

Once we understand our core principles, we can make decisions predicated on how properly aligned our decisions are with those principles.

Making the decision is simply the first step. How that decision will make us feel is equally as important.

We need to ask two essential questions

Creating a list of pros and cons is incredibly helpful, except when it’s a liability.

Asking for advice seems rational until we carefully contemplate the source. Sometimes people’s opinions are inconsistent with our values and their credibility is questionable.

When we are stuck and struggling to make a difficult choice, ask yourself two questions.

What choice am I trying to make, and which choice am I trying to avoid making?

The first question exposes self-interest, which often can’t be trusted. The second question reveals the voice of conscience, which is more reliable since it reflects our moral compass.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridges to cross and which to burn – David Russell

We need to avoid analysis paralysis

Making difficult decisions gets easier with age and maturity. When you can draw from personal experience and elicit the insight of others, it’s a great combination.

Learning to trust our gut instincts and reacting without reservation can expedite our choices.

When fear factors in analysis paralysis strikes.

Fear prevents us from making any decision because we fear making the wrong decision.

We need to trust our body’s reaction

When confronted with difficult choices, empty your mind. Relax and prepare yourself for deep contemplation. Walking is the best method for me when it comes to evaluating tough decisions.

When I start to consider a difficult choice, I pay attention to my body’s reaction. We often experience a physical response that is undeniable.

Learning to recognize the difference between good feelings that are “external” and those that originate “inside” is very different.

We need to consider the long-term implications

Many of us worry, I do at times. When I was younger, I worried more, but still find myself troubled with short term decisions that truly have no long-term significance.

When we stop and contemplate the long-term implications of our choices it often becomes obvious it isn’t something to worry about.

Ask yourself a simple question. Will this decisions matter in 12 to 24 months?

We need to visualize the outcome

When confronting difficult decisions, visualize your path. Ask yourself, “Am I ready for the outcome of this decision”? If you can honestly answer that question, you are moving in the right direction. 

If the answer is no, you need more time, research and consideration before moving forward.

We need to use the 24-hour rule

I’ve learned to avoid making emotional decisions.

Frequently people react and blast off an angry e mail. Once you’ve expressed those thoughts in writing, you can’t take it back.

I prefer to sleep on it.

Science supports the idea of sleeping on tough choices. In deep sleep our brain wrestles with our thoughts from the previous night. In the morning our perspective is often much clearer and our emotions more rational.

Give yourself 24 hours before making difficult decisions. 

We need to get some fresh air

For me there’s nothing more effective than taking a walk.

When I am feeling stress or anxiety, I go for a brisk walk.

I talk to myself and work things out.

In the forest alone I feel at peace and my choices don’t seem so overwhelming. I feel in control.

My breathing starts to become less labored which improves my ability to examine the evidence.

We need to make a list

Personally, I am not a big list maker. However, it does help and works great for many people.

There’s a feeling of accomplishment that coincides with scratching things off your list. In the beginning of building a better mindset, it’s a great exercise.

Anything that boasts your self-esteem I am a big believer in. Those daily victories can be instrumental in setting the foundation for productivity and accountability.

We need to take our time

Why rush important decisions?

Take the time required to think things through and confer with trusted friends. In fact, utilize all the techniques we discussed in this article.

People seem to believe you’re either emotional or rational. Why not be both?

I’ve developed an astute aptitude for listening to my intuition, then comparing that reaction to rational thinking.

When we tap into what we are feeling, we are being true to our natural instincts.

We are validating our internal wisdom and resisting the temptation to dismiss its authenticity.

If you’re still indecisive, I always trust my instincts. They never lie.

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Sum it up

Making decisions isn't easy for many of us. However, learning to make smaller decisions easier will make a huge difference in saving energy for the big choices.

Any tips on making big decisions? Please like and share this article and include your thoughts in the comments section below. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.  Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming. Steve is an author and host of the post program Anatomy of Success. Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn!