How many decisions do you make per day? And how long do you think about the consequences of a decision? If, then, else.. ? What if..?
High-achievers processes the world deeply, with studies indicating that sensitive individuals have more active brain circuitry and neurochemicals related to mental processing. While they excel in exploring angles and nuance, they are also more prone to stress and overwhelm. Deliberation is crucial for better outcomes, but it can lead to overthinking.
To overcome this, here are five strategies to make better, faster decisions.
Set aside perfectionism:Â Perfectionism can hinder swift decision-making by fostering all-or-nothing thinking. For instance, it may lead you to believe that not making the "correct" choice (as if there's only one right option) equates to failure. It may also instill the belief that you must know everything, anticipate every outcome, and have a comprehensive plan before taking action. Trying to consider every possible outcome can be paralyzing.
Right-size the problem:Â Some decisions warrant thorough consideration, while others do not. Before making a decision, list down the goals, priorities, or people in your life that will be affected. This can help differentiate between what's meaningful and what's not worth obsessing over.
Leverage the power of intuition: Intuition operates like a mental pattern matching game. It quickly assesses your experiences and makes the best decision given the context. This automatic process is faster than rational thought and becomes necessary when time is short or traditional data is unavailable. Research shows that pairing intuition with analytical thinking leads to better, faster, and more accurate decisions.
Limit decision fatigue: You make numerous decisions every day, and each one depletes your mental and emotional resources. Eliminating minor decisions conserves energy for more important ones. Establish routines, rituals, and protocols to reduce decision-making load.
Construct creative constraints: Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available. Similarly, overthinking expands to the time allowed. Creating accountability through constraints helps curb this tendency. Set deadlines for decisions, use reminders, or allocate specific times for problem-solving. Harnessing these strategies helps prevent overthinking and allows you to utilize sensitivity as a strength.
source: HBR