9 Tips on How to Be More Decisive

By Lisa Washington 

 

We’re faced with a lot of decisions in life so it’s no surprise that many of us want to learn how to be more decisive. Maybe you have trouble making up your mind on what to eat at a restaurant, or you need some pointers on how to make faster decisions in your personal life or at work. Either way, these simple steps on how to be more decisive should help make things easier for you!

1. Just Believe

One of the major steps in how to be more decisive is to believe it! Believe that you’re a decisive person who is confident in your decision making ability. Often times, indecisiveness comes from a lack of confidence. This requires us to really believe in ourselves and stop associating yourself as being indecisive. It’s hard to move forward and change habits if you continuously refer to yourself as being someone you no longer wish to be!

2. Use Your Imagination

Another good tip to be more decisive is to imagine or visualize yourself being more confident and resolute. It might seem awkward at first, but a large part of change is being able to visualize yourself being or doing something that you want to do. Visualization has been noted to help improve focus, boost self-confidence and help you achieve goals!

3. Address Your Fears

A big part of being hesitant likely comes from the fear of making a bad decision. In order to be less indecisive, it’s vital that you address your fears. Some experts recommend addressing fears by looking at it in one of two ways: assessing the worst case scenario and thinking about the consequences of indecision. Yes, there is a possibility that something could go wrong, but there is also an equal possibility that not taking any action could result in unwanted outcomes as well.

4. Start Small

A great way to be less indecisive is to start out making small decisions. It’s very likely that you make tons of decisions, both big and small, on a daily basis, but you just might not realize it! Start building your confidence by making smaller decisions like how you’ll style your hair, what you’ll have for breakfast, etc. The more decisions you make, regardless of how frivolous they may seem, will make the decision making process much easier!

5. Time’s up

Many times we give ourselves too much time to think something over. Sometimes it pays to have some extra time to think over a major decision, but for most things, it can lead to over thinking things. The next time you need to make a decision, give yourself a time limit of a day or so, then commit to making a decision once you hit the deadline. Having a time limit makes it easier to weigh your options and come to a decision much faster!

6. Just Do It

The next step to be less indecisive is to try new things. It might not seem like there’s an obvious correlation between new experiences and decision making. But, exposing yourself to new experiences with help you build more confidence and teach you to cope with the unknown. Do you frequently turn down invites from the co-workers to go on an outing? Why not join them next time?!

7. Talk It over

If you ever come across a decision in your life that brings up strong emotions, talk to someone about it. Maybe making a certain decision makes you very scared or you feel really uncomfortable with the situation. Talking it over with a friend or family member can really help put things into perspective and help make the process easier.

8. Stop Overanalyzing

This next tip to be more decisive is much easier said than done. I’m so guilty of over-analyzing things so I know it’s not easy, but believe me, you can move past it! Over-analyzing things exacerbates indecisiveness and, in most cases, it doesn’t help anything! Most decisions we make don’t require absolute precision so quit burdening yourself with what ifs!

9. Listen to Your Heart

In order to be less indecisive, it takes some guts to take risks, but you also want to listen to yourself. Always trust in yourself and listen to what your heart is trying to tell you. While it can pay to take risks on some decisions, ultimately, you’ll know what’s right. Even if you’ve gotten accustomed to being indecisive, you can become decisive and learn to make sound decisions in life!