How To Make Hard Decisions: 6 Steps That Will Make Making Decisions Easier
3 min readApr 13, 2021
- Write down all the facts — Do not focus on your own subjective feelings towards the decision either way. Stay focused on only the objective facts and write down what you can.
Option A has better pay. Option B has more people I like. Option C has more opportunities to grow, etc. - Give each fact a rating — Then rate each fact from a scale from 1–10 based on what you deem most important. Focus on what you want to get out of it in the end and try to keep your feelings out of it still at this point.
The ratings should be made according to how effectively this part gets you to your ultimate goal. 1 Being not at all, 10 being very effectively.
Do not focus on how hard it will be, how comfortable you are with it or how happy you will be with the decision at this stage. - Choose an Option based on facts alone — After you have followed step 1 and 2 it is time to make your first choice. This is not the end choice but just the one that would be better from an objective point of view.
- Repeat steps 1–3 using subjective rather than objective facts — Once you have looked at the facts it is time to look at what you want to have instead. What is easier, what do you like more and what gives you more joy? Pour your emotions into this at this stage.
