Move or stay in the same city? Take the new job? Propose? Enroll your child in a new school? These are just some of the decisions we have to make at some point in our lives. For some people, making a decision is a bit of a feat. But it’s necessary to do so, as long as you use the right resources.

This article offers specific techniques and tips for making a decision and sticking to it.

Why make decisions?

Whatever the field, making decisions can only lead to success. Life is made up of choices, and not all of them are necessarily good ones. If you want to succeed in your businesses and projects, you need to learn to make the right decisions. After all, it’s better to have remorse than regret.

This is easier said than done for some people. Many people have got into the habit of taking advice from others. A few others have made so many bad decisions that they no longer want to risk it, for fear of the consequences. Finally, we often prefer to blame others for our decisions. For this reason, we often find it hard to make decisions, even when they are self-evident.

Whatever the reason for your inhibition, remember this: if you don’t make a decision, others will make them for you, and to your detriment. That’s why you need to remember this: it’s better to have remorse than regret.

That said, the fears that prevent you from making the right decision do exist. You need to learn to overcome them, or better still, anticipate them. The following advice has helped many to master the art of decision making.

MAKING A DECISION: AVOID INFORMATION OVERLOAD

What sometimes complicates the task is an excess of information that leaves you in a quandary. Let’s take an example. You’re looking for milk for your children and enter a supermarket. Faced with the profusion of brands lined up in the aisle, you hesitate, don’t you? In fact, if there were only 2 or 3 brands on the shelf, you’d make up your mind more quickly.

The same thing happens when you have to make a difficult decision. Moving house, for example. If you’ve decided to move to another city, and are planning to buy a house, it’s best to limit yourself to 2 or 3 offers. When you’re looking at a catalog of 10 or 12 available homes, the choice is more difficult.

So concentrate on the essentials. Don’t dwell on incidental details. Narrow down the field of possibilities to make your choice easier. Let’s take an example to illustrate: you’re looking at just one house to buy. How can you make the right decision? If you pay too much attention to detail, you’ll dwell on the size of the bedrooms, the look of the staircases, the type of tiles in the bathroom, the layout of the furniture, and so on.

When making any decision, ask yourself: what is essential, and what is accessory? Then make a decision based on the essential factors. Always remember that in any case, it’s better to have remorse than regret.

Rationalize with the 3-column exercise

When making a decision, it’s useful to look back at the choices you’ve made in the past. If they were convincing and rational, they probably produced good results. To do this, take a sheet of paper and divide it into 3 columns. In the left-hand column, write “I must do”; in the second, write “I want to do” and in the third, “I do”.

Next, recall a decision you made recently.

For example: you had to take Kevin to his tennis lesson, while your favorite series was starting on Netflix. Write “Kevin tennis” in the first column, then “favorite series” in the second. What was your final choice? Write it down in the third column.

Do the same with 3, 5 or 7 decisions, big or small, and compare. Does the “I do” column match the first “I must do” column? If so, you know how to make rational decisions. Chances are, they’ll lead to success. In any case, learn to reduce the gap between what you should do and what you do. The more rational you are, the more likely you are to make the best decision when the time comes.

TRUST YOUR INTUITION
At the same time, we wouldn’t recommend that you always be objective and rational. Sometimes you have to rely on your intuition to make a sensible decision. Intuition is not chance. It’s not a matter of deciding on the spur of the moment what you’re going to do.

But sometimes, after analyzing things, an inner force, an induced feeling, pushes us insistently in a certain direction. Don’t turn a blind eye to this intuitive force. It’s likely to be the best decision. In fact, neuroscientists have discovered that intuition can be a very good guide when you’ve worked hard enough on it.

You need to work on your intuitive guide to use it effectively. Our brains are exceptional, so don’t neglect them.

Here’s 4 rules to follow in order to make a decision every time that will cause the least possible damage. These principles will confirm this: make a sensible decision, because it’s better to have remorse than regret.

The 4 rules

To make the right decision, I recommend ensuring that the following 4 principles are observed every time:

NEVER MAKE A DECISION ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.
Our emotions prevent us from looking at things objectively. The consequences for the decisions we make can be serious. In criminology, for example, anger, jealousy and fear are the most common motives for crime. This proves that emotions drive us to make bad decisions.

So think twice before making a decision when you’re euphoric or upset. Don’t decide to leave your partner just because you’re angry. Once you’ve calmed down, you may admit that the problem wasn’t that serious, but it may be too late. Whenever you have to make the right decision, wait until you’ve calmed down and think about the pros and cons of the choice you’re making. That way, you can make the right decision at the right time.

LIST ALL POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES BEFORE YOU DECIDE
Many decisions turn out to be wrong because we think mainly of the benefits they bring. But the consequences, which are inevitable by nature, may be more numerous. Or their impact may be more lasting. I therefore recommend evaluating all the risks associated with a decision before making it.

Suppose you’re offered a new job in another city. The most important thing is not the salary, nor the prestige of the position. Instead, ask yourself what impact this job will have on your family, on your children, on your relationship, on your parents, and so on. Should you buy another car? A new house? If so, at what price? Can you afford it?

In short, list all the consequences and see if it’s really worth it.

EVALUATE THE IMPACT ON OTHER DECISIONS
A good decision is one that doesn’t jeopardize other commitments previously made. Especially when they are also very important. That’s why it’s useful to have an overview of the situation.

If, for example, you decide to put your child in a new school, this is only feasible if you have decided to stay in the same town for at least a year. If you’re planning to move in the short term, you’ll have to postpone the decision, or risk spending more money on the child’s education. If you do, the costs involved will double when you leave town. Apply this approach to other decisions you make.

Before committing yourself, take stock of what you’ve already decided to do. Will the new decision allow you to continue working on it? Will you be able to pursue the 2 decisions at the same time? Won’t one suffer at the expense of the other? Only once you’ve assessed this impact will you be able to decide with a clear conscience.

ANTICIPATE THE CONSEQUENCES TO MAKE A COHERENT DECISION
Now it’s time to act. You’ve no doubt understood that the decision to be made involves a thorough analysis of the foreseeable advantages and disadvantages. If you can identify them clearly, it’s then possible to anticipate their possible impact. For example, you need a new car, but the subsequent mortgage will affect your finances for a long time to come.

To anticipate this inevitable consequence, draw up a more realistic budget for your family. Warn them in advance and persuade them to cooperate by reducing their expenses, so that the project can go ahead. Only then will you decide to buy the new car. If you don’t, you’ll regret it deeply. As you know, remorse is better than regret.

A FINAL WORD OF ADVICE
To make the best decision, remember this: life is an adventure, and every experience enriches us. So it’s okay to make mistakes. Don’t make every failure an end in itself, and don’t be afraid of failure. If your decision wasn’t the right one, it’s not so bad. The next one probably will be. In any case, it’s better to have remorse than regret.