How To Make A Complex Decision In 30 Minutes

How can you be confident in your skin, in control of your perspectives, and eventually make your decisions and live your life the way you want? My strategy is to proactively become aware of who you are and what you want even before you are put into the position of making a decision. This strategy empowers you to have the clarity and confidence needed to make the right decision, regardless of the pressure or uncertainty that comes along with it, and despite any external influence. This is the strategy upon which I have designed the IVIC Decision- Making Framework?.

IVIC Decision-Making Framework? is a reliable tool crafted after years of psychological research and experience, and designed to infuse your decision-making journey with clarity, authenticity, and confidence. IVIC is the abbreviation of the four pillars upon which the framework was built:

1. Identity: Which choice expresses who I am?
2. Vision: Which choice do I want?
3. Impact: Which choice empowers me to make the biggest impact?
4. Cost: Which choice can I afford?

Identity

The first pillar of this framework, Identity, is the foundation on which you construct your decisions. Rooted in the psychological theory of self- concept, this pillar involves a deep dive into understanding who you truly are - your perspectives, motives, values, passion, abilities, and mission in life. A strong understanding of your identity will lead you to greater decisiveness and consistency in your decision-making behavior. This clarity about your identity helps you to eliminate options that do not resonate with your authentic self, and you become more able to narrow down the field and simplify your possibilities more easily.

You must familiarize yourself with who you are if you want to have the clarity and confidence to make complex decisions. Embrace your values and identity, then match possibilities with them. Only then can you stand firm in your decisions and move forward without looking back, only then can you truly live. In a study published in the Journal of Adult Development, researchers found that individuals with high self-awareness tend to make more decisive and consistent choices. Similarly, a study in the Harvard Business Review discovered that CEOs with strong self- awareness had companies with higher ROIs and workforce satisfaction rates. This is clear evidence of how self-awareness, your dependable GPS, ensures you are making decisions that lead you on the right path for you and others. I invite you to explore what might be at the core of this hesitation to uncover the fundamental fears that shape who you are and how you approach life's challenges.

If we agree that your decisions are your life’s building blocks, then taking control of how you make your decisions is common sense. It is not the first step, though. A prerequisite to taking control of your life, and so the way you make decisions, is to know how you want your life to look like in the first place. To gain clarity about the direction and design of your life is profoundly intertwined with understanding yourself deeply. The essence of determining how your life should look is not just about chasing external milestones, accolades, or societal norms. Instead, it is about aligning your life with the core of who they truly are. Discovering who you are is like setting a foundation for a building. The sturdier and more profound this foundation, the more resilient and authentic the structure that you build upon it. If you are unsure about your perspectives, motives, values, passions, abilities, and mission in life, any decisions you make or paths you pursue might end up feeling hollow and unfulfilling, no matter how much external success they bring.

Think of it like trying to choose a destination without understanding what kind of terrain you thrive in. You might end up on a beach when you are truly a mountain person, or in a bustling city when your heart seeks the tranquility of the countryside. Understanding yourself involves introspection and reflection. This is about asking challenging questions and seeking honest answers: What do you believe in? What drives you? What values are non-negotiable for you? What ignites your passion? What are you capable of? What environments make you feel the most alive and in alignment? Defining these facets of your identity helps you carve out a life path that feels genuine. When you have a clear sense of who you are, decisions about how your life should look become more intuitive. For instance, if you recognize that you are someone who values close-knit relationships over career advancement, you will choose jobs and places that allow you to stay close to family and friends. If you know deep down that creativity is a driving force for you, then even if you are in a conventional job, you will find ways to infuse creativity into your tasks or pursue creative passions on the side.

In essence, knowing yourself is the compass guiding you through life's vast possibilities. It provides the criteria against which you can evaluate opportunities and challenges, ensuring that the life you build is a genuine reflection of your true self. With this self-awareness, you not only find direction but also cultivate a life imbued with meaning, purpose, and personal satisfaction.

Vision

The second pillar, Vision, is your beacon in the fog of decision- making. Grounded in purpose and mission, your vision reflects the path you have charted out to get there. The field of positive psychology emphasizes the importance of having a clear direction in promoting overall well-being and satisfaction. In decision-making, your vision acts as a reference point and helps you evaluate how each possibility could aid or hinder your journey toward your goal.

Recognizing your personal mission has real, practical implications for your everyday decisions. Imagine you are a scientist exploring the universe or the intricate details of a single cell. The same way, gravity and other physical laws are fine-tuned to allow for life, finding your own personal "fine-tuning" or purpose guides you in making complex choices. It is like having a compass that always points you in the right direction, whether you are choosing a career, building relationships, or setting personal goals. Shift your gaze to nature, where -for example- you are an ecologist. Just as bees have their purpose in pollinating plants, you, too, have a unique role to play. When you understand your purpose, decisions that might have seemed overwhelming become manageable and more evident. Your mission is like the roots of a tree that ground you and provide stability as you grow and branch out in different directions.

The philosophical side is equally illuminating. Victor Frankl's idea that the purpose of life is found in every moment of living underscores that clarity in your mission can transform even mundane choices into profound opportunities for growth. Knowing your purpose is akin to having a personalized roadmap, enabling you to navigate life's twists and turns with confidence. Even theological and cosmological perspectives have a part to play here. Whether you see life's purpose as divinely guided or part of a grand cosmic puzzle, understanding your place in it provides a sense of coherence and direction. It is like having a well-crafted script in a complex play; you know your lines and cues, and you can perform with assurance. So, back to you, pondering these profound questions of “Why?” and “What?”. Setting a mission for your life provides a status that shapes your decisions, and provides you clarity and confidence while making them. This is the difference between wandering aimlessly, and moving forward with clarity and resolve. Whether it is a major life decision or a daily choice, knowing your purpose acts as a guiding star, leading you to fulfillment and success.

Here is a thought for you: You are designed to make a difference. Whether you think there is a superior force that has intentionally designed you this way or that you are a random product of nature is not the point here. Like bees and gravity, you are a unique and valuable part of an ecosystem, and knowing your mission enriches your decisions, adds meaning to your actions, and empowers you to contribute positively to the world around you. Next time you are in your garden or at your busy workplace, take a moment to reflect on how you are a piece of a beautiful puzzle with your very own purpose, and you will get what I mean. You do not have to worry about where this purpose is coming from; just decide on one for yourself, for your own sake.

Impact

The Impact pillar gauge the potential effect of each possibility. Here, cognitive psychology comes into play, underscoring the importance of evaluating the potential outcomes of your choices. Since you have already checked your identity and your vision as priorities, it is time to think of the wider ecosystem. Back to the Butterfly Effect, as I have explained in the introduction, your decisions do impact nature and other people's lives, and any decision you make will have consequences that will end up disrupting the world in a way or another. So, why not make this disruption intentionally positive for the rest of us?

Welcome to the reality that you make an impact, regardless of whether you are aware of it or even intend it. The mere act of your existence, of your breath moving in and out of your lungs, means you are creating ripples in the vast ocean of life. This mathematical theory is referred to as the Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly Effect theory suggests that the fluttering of a butterfly's wings could theoretically alter the trajectory of a tornado thousands of miles away. What it points to is how minor tweaks in initial conditions can snowball into dramatically different outcomes within complex systems. In essence, it emphasizes our universal interconnectivity and how the most seemingly random or insignificant of events can come to bear significant influence. This concept first took flight in the 1960s when Edward Lorenz, a mathematician and meteorologist, noticed a striking discrepancy while running weather prediction computer models. Inputting an initial condition of 0.506

136

Doubt to Certainty

instead of the full precision value of 0.506127 resulted in a vastly different weather scenario. This unexpected revelation illuminated the impossibility of long-term weather forecasting due to the hyper-sensitivity of initial conditions. The Butterfly Effect theory is now being considered a credible calculation method in many fields, including biology, economics, physics, and social science. In economics, for instance, minor fluctuations in consumer confidence can propel the economy into a boom or plunge it into a bust. Similarly, in ecology, a slight shift in a specific species' population can send an entire ecosystem's equilibrium into disarray.

Every single day, you are generating impacts, however subtle they may seem, on the world around you. Your actions, like ripples on the surface of a pond, extend far beyond your immediate sphere, influencing others in ways you might never consider or comprehend. Think of your habits as a consumer, for example. Each time you decide to purchase a product or service, you are casting a vote with your wallet, and tacitly endorsing the business practices of the company you are patronizing. Opting to buy from a company committed to ethical manufacturing means you are supporting not just the business but its inherent values. This ripple effect extends to the company's employees, the communities they operate within, and the environment at large. Using the same logic, analyze the impact of your resource usage. Every flick of a light switch, every turn of a tap, every decision about transportation, and every meal you eat – they all contribute to your environmental footprint. And so, when you make conscious choices, whether they are about conserving resources, choosing public transport, or opting for locally sourced food, you are wielding your influence for a more sustainable world, one decision at a time.

Now, turn to your social interactions. Every conversation you engage in, every piece of advice you dole out, every smile you share – each one carries the potential to make someone's day a little bit brighter. Even the smallest acts of kindness ripples outwards and creates a positive cascade. For example, if you lend a helping hand to a colleague, they might feel inspired to pay it forward. This cycle of kindness cultivates a supportive and collaborative environment that bolsters productivity and enhances well- being, and it has all started with your decision to act kindly.

Your digital activities also have the same level of impact. The content you share and the comments you post on social media platforms steer opinions, disseminate information (or disinformation), and shape societal norms. Now, let us look at your personal growth decisions. When you invest in becoming a better version of yourself – acquiring new skills, surmounting harmful habits, fostering positivity – you are not only improving your life but setting an example for others and impacting their lives more positively. This ripple of inspiration, multiplied across individuals, contributes to a more enlightened society. To you, it may seem that your actions are just drops in an ocean, but these very drops make the ocean.

Hence, never underestimate the impact your decisions have on others' lives, nor undermine the influence you exert on your life and the world around you. Creating an impact is only bound by the limits of your creative thinking, and making a difference begins with making a decision of being selfless. Why don't you, considering your own identity and vision, make conscious decisions that contribute to bettering the world? Your decisions will have an impact on the world around you, regardless of your intentions. Why not be intentional about making everyone else's life easier and make your decisions in a way that has positive consequences for yourself and others? In the process, you will uncover a profound sense of joy and satisfaction that supersedes a self-centered lifestyle.

Cost

Finally, the Cost pillar is about bringing your attention to weigh the trade-offs associated with each possibility. This step is rooted in economic and decision theory and urges you to consider what you stand to lose or gain with each choice.

One of my coaching clients, let us call her Jane, has been offered a high-paying job in a city far from her family and friends. Here, the problem Jane wanted to solve was not just deciding what she wanted, which was a new job with better career prospects and financial security. Jane came to me because she could not decide what she was prepared to give up – her proximity to loved ones and the comfort of a familiar environment. In this situation, Jane was faced with a tough decision – whatever she would decide to choose, she would have to lose something in return. Jane felt the inner conflict because her brain was weighing the rewards against the costs. She was excited about the new job (the reward), but the thought of leaving her family and friends behind was daunting (the cost). According to Kahneman and Tversky's Prospect Theory, the potential loss loomed larger in Jane's mind than the equivalent gain, making the decision particularly challenging. Making a decision often means accepting the loss of all the other attractive alternatives. This is a natural part of the decision-making process and an aspect of our lives that you might find challenging but is inevitable nonetheless. This all being said, I am about to make an argument that could turn out to be the most important reality of this whole reading experience, and I need you to know that I will be both straightforward and empathetic about it.

Listen, I do not mean to sound emotionless while talking about losses. If someone is hurting, their pain is real, regardless of how others perceive it. I know that because I -just like you and everyone else- have tasted it. I had to choose between people I love and my life's vision, secured jobs with big money and hustles I am passionate about, a fancy paycheck to be on TV and an opportunity to make a real impact on someone's life, act to please my friends and be authentic but lonely, stay warm at home with my family and go out in the cold to help somebody. It did hurt every time, because there was something to lose every time. Yet, as fundamental pain is in life, as powerful and transformative it can be.

The universe often presents its most arduous tests to those with remarkable resilience, and I now firmly believe that. I do not believe for a second that my significant tests began coincidentally when I became a trainer, coach, and writer. The combination of being a life coach and author grants me a powerful position and a significant responsibility. If I aspire to understand others' pain and suffering, I must experience it myself—and I have, profoundly. Feel free to dismiss this theory, but it resonates with me and has helped me come to terms with what many perceive as random events.

From being rejected by society, to disconnecting from my family, to illness and accidents, to near-death experiences multiple times, to losing dear ones, trust me when I say I do know how real pain can be. Some of the pain came because of random, external, metaphysical reasons, some other pain came as a consequence of the uneducated decisions that I had made, and some other pain was inevitable as a consequence of educated ones. Either way, pain is real, and those who have the ability to comprehend this reality, and the courage to use it for their own advantage, are the ones who live the way they truly want. Being aware of the cost of your decision is all about being fully aware of what you are letting go of, and being confident when making decisions is essentially being aware of what you want and what you do not want.

Next Steps?

There are 4 things you can basically do now to make sure you are well prepared to make complex decisions:

1. Get to know yourself: Know what you believe in, what drives you, and what you want to do in life. It will make the inner conflict much easier to manage.
2. Set a direction for your life: Instead of reacting to situations where you 'have' to make a decision, proactively set a direction for your life. All you will have to do when you need to make a decisions is benchmark the possibilities to decide what's more relevant to you.
3. Define your impact: Based on your beliefs and values, make conscious decisions that align with the impact you desire to make on your future self, others, and nature.
4. Gain experience: To be able to calculate the cost of your decisions wisely, base your decisions on logic, experience, and learnings. Read, speak with mentors, and reflect to learn from your life and others'.

If you want to know more about IVIC Decision-Making Framework?, I encourage you to read Doubt to Certainty . I am also happy to chat about any decision you need to make; I can help you find the clarity and confidence you need to make a complex decision within in 30-minutes .

May you find all the clarity you need,

Mina Wasfi