The Five Ordered Steps of Problem-Solving

Step 4: Making a Decision

Due to impulsivity, being pressured by others, or feeling like you have to do something, you may rush into decisions when you could wait.

On the other hand, you may have trouble making a decision and acting on it because you worry that you may make the wrong decision or that your decision may have consequences that you did not anticipate.
To help you make decisions with less stress,

• Reduce the chance that you are making an impulsive decision by,
  • Not rushing to a decision. Instead, sleep on it.
  • Ask "How will I feel about this decision 5 years from now?"
  • Ask "What would I advise a friend to do?"
• Avoid feeling like making a decision is locking you in by realizing that
  • Not acting is a decision. For example, if a woman waits 60 years to decide whether she will have children, she has decided not to have children. So, ask "What would happen if I did nothing?"
  • You may be able to try out an option before committing to it (e.g., renting before buying).
  • You may be able to change your options from "Should I do x OR y?"  to "Could I do x AND y?"
  • You can have a Plan B --and even Plans C, D, and E--in case plan A doesn't work out. In fact, you probably should have a plan B: As Adam Bryant said, "If you don't have a plan B, you don't have a plan."

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