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Identify your primary goal -

When it comes to making a decision, an important first step to take is to identify your primary goal. Although decisions can be complex, you will normally have a main goal.

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Identify your primary goal -

Identifying what that goal is will help cut through the noise and make your path seem clearer. Keep the primary goal at the forefront of your mind when making smaller decisions.

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Run through the options in your mind -

This one may sound obvious, but don't forget to run through the various options in your mind. Often if we are stressed by having to decide, we forget to take the time to do this.

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Run through the options in your mind -

Depending on how much time you have, take a few seconds or a few minutes to consider each option. Be sure to eliminate quickly any options that don't help you on your way to your goal.

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Trust your instincts -

Another step that's perhaps obvious but very important is to trust your instincts. Very often when faced with a decision, one option seems better for what appears to be no reason.

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Trust your instincts -

If you do find yourself drawn to a particular option or you keep coming back to it, don't be afraid to trust your gut feeling and roll with it.

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Quickly dismiss bad options -

When considering your options, there will probably be some that you simply don't like and want to dismiss. With these, ask yourself first if they will help you achieve your goal.

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Quickly dismiss bad options -

If they will not help you to achieve that goal, don't even consider them. For example, don't consider an internship that is in a field you're not interested in and won't help you towards a career goal.

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Choose between available options -

Often we are faced with a decision and none of the options seems great. In this situation, it is important to work with the available options and not simply put off the decision.

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Choose between available options -

Most of the time your options will not get better the longer you wait, so your best bet, especially if you need to decide quickly, is to choose an option from the bad bunch and move on.

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Discuss your options with someone else -

It is often helpful to discuss the decision and your options with someone else. Sometimes the process of explaining something helps to make things seem clearer.

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Discuss your options with someone else -

Start by explaining your goal and then describing the options available to you. Often you will find that you speak more favorably about some options than others.

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Consider the consequences of each option -

Often it is enough simply to think through the options that are available to you. Other times you may find it helpful also to consider the consequences of choosing each option.

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Consider the consequences of each option -

In this instance, think systematically about the consequences of each available option. For example, you might think about how much money you'll make by choosing each option.

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Don't be afraid -

Perhaps easier said than done, but don't be afraid of making a decision. Often the decision becomes much harder if we are afraid of the outcome of making it.

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Don't be afraid -

Try to remind yourself that not making a decision is worse. For example, if you're deciding where to go on holiday, remember that going anywhere is better than going nowhere.

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Don't look back -

Once you have made your decision, make sure that you don't look back. Stick to your guns and don't allow yourself to think about what might have happened if you'd chosen differently.

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Don't look back -

Getting into the "what ifs?" is never helpful and it can be very destructive. Remind yourself that what is done is done and there will be another decision to make very soon!

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Don't worry about making a mistake -

As with anything, fear of failure is crippling when it comes to decision-making. Recognize that making mistakes is normal and that they can often be fixed.

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Don't worry about making a mistake -

If you do make a poor decision that hurts someone else in some way, be sure to apologize to that person. You will get closure and be able to move on from the failure.

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Practice! -

Like with many things, when it comes to decision-making, practice makes perfect. Try to practice coming to a decision on a regular basis, every day if possible.

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Practice! -

You will probably find that as you get quicker and more efficient at making small decisions, you will have more time to consider the options when it comes to a big decision.

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Rest or sleep on it -

It is almost impossible to overstate how helpful a good night's sleep can be. Our brains process things while we are asleep and often all we need is a good snooze to gain some clarity.

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Rest or sleep on it -

Of course, it will not always be possible to "sleep on it." In these instances, try to take a step back, even if it's just for half an hour, and come back to the decision hopefully with more clarity.

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Kiss your ego goodbye -

This can be a tricky one for some people, but it is really important to put your ego second. Quite often our ego will cloud our vision and keep us from seeing the options clearly.

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Kiss your ego goodbye -

An entrepreneur, for example, may allow their ego to cloud their judgement when analyzing and deciding the reason why they were unable to hit their sales target.

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Practice mindfulness -

Mindfulness is a great way to cut through the noise and gain that peace of mind that is so helpful when it comes to making a decision that would otherwise be stressful.

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Practice mindfulness -

It doesn't have to be much: just a few minutes a day can help a lot. And you can practice anywhere at any time–all you need is yourself and your willingness.

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Shake up your routine -

Sometimes it is helpful to view things differently from how you have viewed them before. A great way to do this is to shake up your routine and challenge the status quo.

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Shake up your routine -

To make sure that your perspective is as fresh as possible and you don't get stuck in a rut, try to learn new skills and have as many new experiences as possible.

Sources: (WikiHow) (Calendar)

See also: Million and billion-dollar businesses that started as side hustles

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