MAXREZ BLOG   •   STEVEN J. GILBERT   •   July 7, 2019

You ever wonder why we make the decisions we make? It has a lot to do with emotions. Believe it or not, most of us make decisions off of emotions, instead of looking at the facts or cold, hard truth. How something makes you feel is more important than weighing the facts. Good advice was given to me a long time ago that said when pressed for a decision tell the person “you’ll think about it”. This sort of pause may save you from hastily making decisions that could cost you emotionally, physically, or even financially.

So who’s driving the bus of your decisions? Here’s a strategic mindset that may help you think before you act.

Playing Chess with Decisions

A good way to look at decisions is like playing a game of chess. The basic strategy is to look at making your best move and determining what moves your opponent could possibly make from your decision and what your consequent move will be. Just think about it. If someone is pressuring you for a split decision on something important, take a deep breath and take time to maul it over. It doesn’t have to be a long time at all. Questions may be raised from what is being asked that need to be answered. This swift exchange to get the answers you want may lead you to FULL INFORMATION to make a decision very quickly. Your comfort-level (emotion) may be increased by the feeling of doing more than reacting to something emotionally and making a factual decision. It’s okay to feel good about making an informed decision. What’s important to you is different than the person asking. Due diligence is important for fact-finding and the onus is on us to keep digging. Realize that a decision has to be made at some point and a certain level of emotion may still enter the equation; having information to make it on is key. And that’s better than making the decision on a gut feeling. There have been companies that have been crippled by this type of “gut feeling” decision making that in essence could have been avoided because the data/facts were right in front of them. It’s just up to us to sleuth them out.

Sleuthing it Out

How do you get the answers or data you’re looking for to make good decisions? The answer may lie in the questions you ask. If you’re looking for answers about apples, then don’t ask about oranges. What’s important to you is different than what’s important to them. We are all self-interested in our own survival! Everything in life may be a compromise, but what we want and get benefits us. Even asking for a split decision from someone could be a strategy for the person asking to lead you to them getting what they want. And sometimes asking the hard questions could lead to some sort of truth, factual data, and maybe even comfort to get you to full information to make a decision.

You’re in Charge!

The next time you’re faced with a tough decision, just think… you’re the one in charge! Try not to let your emotions get the best of you… or your decisions. The deal will still be good if you just take a moment to weigh things out, even if the one asking is pressuring you to act. It’s never too late to break the cycle of poor decision-making that ends up with bad results that benefit someone else. Once you gain victory over your decision-making process, life may be a little more enjoyable than being victimized by predators looking out for their own best interest over yours. You have to live with the decisions you make. Take control of your emotions while making them. It will always be in your best interest!