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What's the point of making a good decision?
Will it really affect me later on?
How does one decision now influence my future?

These are all questions that we ask ourselves, whether we realize it or not.  Decision making can be intimidating, but we make decisions everyday.  In reality, our big decisions are not made in isoloation: they are usually a collection of all the little decisions we make in our daily lives, which shape who we are, our values, and our goals.

Most of us know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad.  Those decisions are not necessarily the hardest choices to make.  The difficult ones are when we need to choose from many "good" options: when we have to choose between good and better (or even between bad and worse!).

How do I make a good decision??

YOU'RE SEVEN STEPS AWAY FROM MAKING A DECISION...
Use this as a resource whenever you need to make a decision!  You won't necessarily have to spend extensive time on each step.  The depth and importance of your decision will determine how much time each one needs!

1. Identify and define the decision that has to be made.
   A decision can either be the result of problem that needs to be resolved, or just a choice that needs to be made between two or more alternatives.  The thing is, you need to know what the problem is before you attempt to resolve it.  By defining it and understanding it, you'll be able to see your options much more clearly.
   Here are some questions to ask yourself:
1. Is this your decision to make, or someone else's?
2. When does the decision need to me made by?
3. Why is this decision important to make?
4. Who will be affected by this decision?
5. What values does this decision involve for you?
   
2. List all possible options and alternatives
   Brainstorm!  Write down every idea and option: keep going until you can't think of any more.  Remember, this is just an opportunity to gather a bunch of ideas, so nothing at this point is silly or dumb.
   
3. Evaluate the options
   Now that you have a list of options, you can narrow them down to possible and realistic choices.  A helpful suggestion is to write down the pros and cons of any one option.  This will let you see things clearly so that you can make a better decision.  At this time, be aware of what your personal priorities are, and consider who else will be affected by your decision (i.e. is it unkind? is it hurtful? is it unfair? is it dishonest?).
   
4. Realistically visualize the outcome
   Take some time to picture what the outcome of each alternative will look like.  Use your imagination to visualize the end result in each case.  Perhaps you can think of a similar situation where a decision like this one was made: what was done in that case?  How is this situation like that one?  Next, consider the risks involved with each one. Now do a reality check:  which option is most likely to happen? Eliminate the ones that are not likely.                                                                        
   At this moment, take some time to let these options incubate in your mind:  by taking a step back and letting your thoughts develop, you will allow yourself the opportunity to see things from a fresh perspective.
   
5. Choose one option
   This is the point where you combine your evaluations, visualizations, and all relevant data to make a final choice.  Don't forget that some information that you have gathered is more important and valuable than other information.
   Consider the following:
   • Does your choice answer the problem that you defined earlier?
   • Does this decision line up with your life, goals, values, and dreams?  Does it push you toward being the person you want to be, or does it keep you from it?
     
6. Make a plan and do it
   Now that you've made your decision: get started!  Part of the process of decision making is not only making a choice, but also figuring out how to implement it: how to make it happen.
   Here are some things to think about:
   • How should things look when the problem is solved / decision is made?
   • What steps should be taken to make this happen?
   • How much time will I need to implement the solution?
   • How will I know if I am succeeding? What signs should I be looking for?
     
7. Evaluate and Review
   How do I know if I've made a good decision?  The benefit of evaluating and reviewing your decision is to determine whether or not the problem has been resolved, or if the choice made was most beneficial.  Perhaps the choice you made was unrealistic, or the plan was impractical. 
   If the outcome of your decision is not what you expected, go through these steps:
   • What went wrong?
   • Did I not have enough information to make this decision?
   • Did my decision match my life values, and goals that I wanted to accomplish?
   • Consult with others:  seek wisdom!
   • Consider other alternatives:  what would work better?
   • Revise your plans:  plans change, and that's okay!

You are on your way to making a good decision!

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