17 Ways To Be Less Indecisive - Best Life

Life is all about choices. Tomorrow morning, will you order a latte or a flat white? Are you going to paint your living room charcoal or pewter this weekend? Should you take the soul-sucking job with the high salary or the low-paying one you’re deeply passionate about?

Yes, our days are full of forks in the road, and the decisions can quickly pile up, compounding any feelings of stress and anxiety into an insurmountable wall of paralyzing indecisiveness. But things don’t have to be that way. In fact, by deploying a series of tried-and-true maneuvers, you can become a black belt in making on-the-spot decisions. Here, straight from life coaches, psychologists, and other experts, are the best methods for combatting indecision.

1 Learn how to use a decision matrix.

There’s nothing wrong with being an overachiever, but load your schedule up, and all you’re doing is hobbling your own potential. Far better to narrow your focus and give 100 percent to a few things.

“I find it helpful to pick one or two clear-cut tasks and use a time-tracking app to ensure I’m spending the majority of my week focused on just those one or two things,” says Chloe Brittain, an entrepreneur and owner of Opal Transcription Services. “There are a limited number of hours in a day, so isolating my time in this way helps to crowd out opportunities for information overload. It also gives me fewer things to worry about, which helps with decision-making in general—not just in business.”

3 Set realistic decision-making deadlines.

Pop quiz: What works just as well on crosswords, on standardized tests, and in everyday decision-making? If you answered “the process of elimination,” you win!

Winnowing your choices down as much as possible eliminates potential hesitation. “Narrow your options to two outcomes,” says Moreira. “If there are fewer options, your decision can become clearer.” This tactic especially comes in handy when you’re attempting to choose one from a pool of many—like buying a new car when your list of options is well into the double digits.

5 Stop worrying about others.

Yes, your choices are yours alone, and shouldn’t be heavily influenced by those around you. Still, Moreira suggests seeking advice from a trusted friend or family member to help ease your indecisiveness. Seeking out someone you trust can not only help you make your ultimate decision, but it can also affirm the conclusion that you’ve come to on your own. Having someone look at your situation as an outsider can give you a perspective that you may not have factored in otherwise.

7 Don’t overthink the outcome.

Though you shouldn’t waste too much time wavering on every little decision in your life, you should at least do your homework to ensure that you know, with some degree of accuracy, how each component of the decision will affect your short-term and long-term goals—especially if you’re doing something that involves financial logistics (like, say, leaving a staff position to become an independent contractor).

“If you are indecisive about something, it usually means you are very stressed out and full of anxiety due to a lack of understanding and awareness of the decision,” says finance blogger Scott Bates. “The best way to deal with it is to find out more knowledge in that area and don’t stop until you’re full of confidence. Then you’ll be able to make a snappy decision and the right one after that.”

9 Protect your mind against self-doubt.