The Power of Choices

"Get busy living or get busy dying" - Shawshank Redemption?

Isn't it amazing to think our lives are built on our decisions? We make countless decisions daily without realizing how much of a difference they make in the long term. Do I stay late and work or go home? Do I go on that date or go home? Which career path is best for me? Do I wear a casual or more formal outfit for the event?

Choices, choices, choices! There are so many options that it can become overwhelming and possibly debilitating.??

As we have discussed, it's not a question of whether you do something. You will have to make decisions. It's more about the quality of the decision than if it will happen.?

To make better decisions, we need a choice framework. This process gives us guardrails to manage our decision-making better. Here are some practical steps to create a choice framework.

1.?Problem or preference: in a similar way that we covered the power and difference of "the" vs. "a" (see previous article), we need to define the decision point. Something broken needs to be improved or could have long-term consequences and should be treated differently than short-term, nonconsequential decisions. Consider the differences between choosing a spouse vs what socks to wear today. One has significantly more weight than the other. As such, you would want to spend less time and mental effort on a preference vs a serious life choice. It makes sense when you are not in the moment when life is calm and normal, but you would be amazed at how often we treat problems and preferences equally.?

2.?Active vs. automated decisions:?We all know the difference between making a rushed decision and having the time to think and weigh the pros and cons. The challenge is that we need help finding the time because we are overwhelmed with the countless choices we face daily.?

One way to free up more mental space is to automate as many mental tasks as possible. This frees us to focus most of our time on active decision-making. One example is simplifying your wardrobe options to pieces you know you like and fit for various situations. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, was famous for his black turtleneck sweater and jeans. Others have adopted a color scheme pattern of alternating two or three colors(i.e., Monday, Wednesday, Friday = Blacks/Gray/Brown, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays= Blues/Tans/Reds). This reduces the number of decisions you make in the morning.??

Other examples include meal prepping, automating bill payments, and scheduling routine maintenance or other tasks that are performed on an established basis in advance.?

3. Data Points:?the key to making better decisions is to maximize the amount of data available to inform the decision. Isn't it interesting to see how many times you would have made a different choice if only you had known that one extra data point you found out after making the decision? The challenge is finding the information promptly. Tools like Reddit, Quora, and ChatGPT are good sources if you realize there may be some bias in the answers. When in doubt, get more information.?

3. Commit:?at some point, you have to make an actual choice. Regardless of the available data, time is up, and you need to decide. You have weighed the options using a pro and con list and reached a reasonable conclusion. But you may still have doubts.?

The reality is that the more challenging a decision, the more likely you will have doubts. Making difficult decisions is a job requirement as a leader, so you better get comfortable with being uncomfortable. One way to minimize the second-guessing is to say, "We are making the best decision based on the information we have at the moment."?

4. Review: reviewing your decision after time has passed is helpful. The goal is not to feed any remorse or regret. The goal is to determine what information was accurate and what new information supports the original decision or would change it. The key is to get better with each decision-making process over time.?

Making decisions can be challenging, but with a bit of practice and a framework, it can become less complicated.?

As the author John C Maxwell summarized, "Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you."?

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