Have you found yourself stuck in a situation from where you could not find a way out? Do you ever feel that the tussle between heart and mind never takes a halt? Don’t you feel agitated when dilemma of your life takes a long time to resolve? Decisions, be it related to love life, career, family, best friend, or even petty issues like the choice between pizzas or pasta, are always hard to make. All individuals at a juncture of their lives find themselves in perplexity, where some people succeed in coming out with flying colors, some fail to select the best choice and thus, regret for the rest of their lives. Taking a decision is not that difficult, but the fear of the future results of the decision taken is what resonates in the mind all the time. There is no idealistic way of resolving puzzle in life, but there is definitely a ray of hope that can be raised by opting for the right path towards the elucidation of the trouble. So, here are few tips that you can follow to become an astute decision maker in your life:

Photo by Lukas Neasi, CC0 1.0

1. Ask Yourself What You Want

Remember the poem written by the prolific writer Robert Frost titled “The Road Not Taken,” where the subject stands in the middle of the road i.e. the fork and is to make up the mind between the roads leading ahead. When you are in a state of confusion, you must introspect yourself and think what you wish to derive out of that situation. The external factors that surround you affect your decision deeply, especially when it comes to making career choices. So, don’t let think about others, it is your life, your decisions, at the end of the day; it is “you” who will have to live the life with the final decision. This is exactly what Deepika Padukone’s video for Vogue said – My Life, My Choice.

2. Take Your Time

Decisions taken in haste are never perennial because such decisions are not well thought over. Human nature is such that it compels the decisions to be taken at an instant in order to escape the situation and get away from it as fast as possible. This might work for short span of time, but not for long term. On one hand, if life holds such treacherous situations for you, on the other hand, it also opens many doors for you; to knock the right door, you have to devote some time and liberate yourself. Don’t try to just mess things up by taking quick unplanned decisions.

3. Prudence Is Necessary

To cope with such unpredictable situations in life, you need to have an insight into the future. You have to be very pragmatic about your life and figure out the solution. You need to look into the future prospects of your decisions and how would you be – happy or remorseful – after the decision is finalized. Be rational and go ahead.

4. Listen to Advisors, But Do What Your Heart Says

There are a variety of people in this world – some who really care about you, some who pretend to be your benefactors and some who loathe you like anything. All of these categories of people try to be your great advisors, but you have to filter out the advices and lastly, do what your gut feeling asks you to do. Don’t let anybody control your decision-making process because you are mature enough to make the right choice.

5. Analyze The Situation

To understand the quandary better and to list out the methods to mold the situation according to your comfort, you have to throw light on the pros and cons of the situation and then give it a thought. Just close your eyes and sit for a while in utter silence, then indulge yourself into a deep thought provoking session that can have a stronger hold on the situation. This is how you can lighten up such complicated situations.

6. Have The Guts to Bear the Repercussions

If you are capable of taking your own decisions, then you must take the onus of bearing the consequences thereafter. No matter your decision turns out to be successful or bizarre, you have to stand by the words that popped out of your mouth. Once you develop the confidence to take charge of your decisions, you can be called a fully-grown adult who does not a support system to sympathize with you.

7. Risks Are Part of Life-Changing Decisions

Decisions can either make your life or destroy it. Only well-planned decisions taken after long hours of brainstorming can be beneficial for a person. A decision taken just for the sake of getting rid of the situation is always a deal breaker. But one needs to put on the armor to face risks borne by the decisions taken. If you are scared that your decision might result into a catastrophic incident, then the terror inside you won’t let you take the right decision. So, you must make it clear in your head that correct decisions are equivalent to taking risks in life.

8. Your Conscience Should Not Let You Deceive Your Loved Ones

When you have to make some big decisions in your life which will not only influence your life, but that of those people who are associated with you, then you have to think from the core your heart. There are several books written on success mantra where one chapter is always dedicated to decision-making, but all those fundamentals do not apply in practical life. Make sure that you consider all your patrons’ preferences, but do not let yourself be swayed by emotions.

9. Remember Your Principles

While taking your decisions, you should always keep in mind that your final verdict for the predicament must reflect your intellect behind it. Your actions are the representation of your decisions and your decisions should always abide by the rules that you have set for yourself. You must not stabilize your mind at a point that leads to repentance in life. For instance, where there is a choice between an untold truth and a lie, then what would you choose, so you better adhere to your self–made ideologies and be wise while making decisions.

 10. Don’t Wait for Almighty to Show You the Path of Enlightenment

At times, people display a blind faith in God and think that it is the duty of the Lord to solve every problem in their lives. If you believe that God will help you in retreating from the trap, then you must know the saying “God help those who help themselves.” Don’t wait for the ominous moment when the blessings of the Divinity would be sent in the hands of an oracle. Only YOU can get yourself out from such a maze.

Life never runs on one track; it always has some road bumps which will hamper your journey on the way. But you need to have patience, intelligence, farsightedness, and daredevil attitude to make decisiveness part of your personality. Do you remember any incident from your life where the biggest decision of your life made you lament for it later? If you do have one such bitter memory, then do not let this happen again and build your life on your own terms by making appropriate decisions in your life.