Unless it's something really big (like what graduate school should I go to), I usually don't have any trouble making decisions. Maybe it's the right-brained person in me, but I can pick a paint color or even a dishwasher without thinking about it twice. A couple of my children, however, not so much. They agonize and overthink every little thing. So, being the nice mama I am, and borrowing heavily from old psychology textbooks, I have come up with a little step-by-step guide to decision making which should appeal to those of you who are left-brained and analytical.
1. What are your choices? You have to identify the potential choices before you can go any further.
2. Research. This includes both researching the actual product/color/shoe/graduate school...whatever, and yourself. What are you hoping to get? A comfortable shoe that goes with your favorite jeans? A dishwasher that will last for 15 years? A career that you won't hate?
3. Consult and brainstorm. Talk to others and get their opinions and brainstorm possibilities but only for a limited time. Don't get stalled out at this point. This is the part where you can take a picture of the shoes with your phone and send it your friend. :)
4. Pros and Cons. Make a list of pros and cons, but again don't let it take too long. Give yourself a deadline if you need to.
5. Decide and act. This is the hard part. Make a decision and act on it. If you don't decide, that's a decision too. If you're like me, you'll be deciding on the first thing that caught your eye anyway.
So there you have it my little over thinking darlings. Happy decision making!
