6 Things Smart People Always Do Before Making A Big Decision, According To Psychology
Before making any major move, smart people run through this quiet mental checklist.
Mahdi Chaghari | Unsplash Go to college or get a job. Buy a new car with payments or save for an older one. Buy the house or rent. Date the bad boy or the good guy? These choices seem like kid stuff, but are they? Did the bad boy leave you after one night?
Do you mourn not having gone to college? Is that new car payment crushing your budget? The bigger questions are, were you conscious of the choice being made, and are you regretting it or celebrating it?
We need to be conscious of our decisions when we are making them. If we don't consciously make choices, "fate" makes them for us. We may not like the selections she makes, though. At least if we are in charge, we can go in the direction we want and take charge of our own lives. Talk about empowerment and really being in control of our lives.
Here are 6 things smart people always do before making a big decision, according to psychology:
1. Be conscious of all aspects
Ground Picture / Shutterstock
Be aware of when there is a moment of choice. For instance, do you stop at the coffee shop and buy your latte, or do you make it at home?
Are you showing up to work and doing the best you can (hating the job or not), or are you making time until you are off for the day and waiting for Friday?
2. Consider the consequences
Perfect Wave / Shutterstock
What are they, and can you see them? That coffee, for instance, costs you about $5 a day and up to $1300 a year. Is that a lot of money for you?
Does your budget allow for it? What about your health? How does coffee make you feel? Are you revved up and not feeling well by the time you're done? Do they pack on too many calories for comfort? Those are all consequences.
A 2015 study explained that the ability to think beyond immediate outcomes and the emotional aspects of a decision is associated with increased life satisfaction, greater self-efficacy, and the ability to cope with potential negative scenarios. While emotions are important drivers, they should be balanced with factual information, and awareness of cognitive biases is key to avoiding poor choices, especially in long-term, complex situations.
3. Work through their feelings
fizkes / Shutterstock
This may seem like an odd one, but we make most of our choices based on our feelings. Studies have "found that people who lack an emotional reaction to a situation struggle to make a good decision in that situation."
How does what you want to do make you feel? You have to slow down for this one a bit. Quiet your head down and look deep at your feelings. If nothing comes up, look for body reactions: does your stomach tighten up, your heart speed up, or does it calm you down?
4. Use their imagination
Yuri A / Shutterstock
Use your imagination and look at what can happen with each direction. Play with it and make it fun.
What is your best outcome, any way you go? What is the worst? How will you feel? What will your friends say?
Imagination is a cognitive tool that allows exploration of possibilities, anticipating consequences, and aligning decisions with values and long-term goals. According to a 2022 study, the vividness of visual imagery and factors like future time perspective, self-efficacy, and well-being are associated with better career decisions.
5. Make a list of pros and cons
fizkes / Shutterstock
Make a list of pros and cons. Be logical. Look at it from every angle and list it out. Seriously, write it down. Don't make a list in your head.
This needs to be written down so you can compare what each does for you. Use the other tools and think about how it makes you feel, imagine it, then look at the consequences. Do it for both pro and con.
6. Be honest with thesmselves
Xavier Lorenzo / Shutterstock
Look, that guy over there is a bad boy to the core, and yes, you want him. Be clear with yourself about it. Know that you are thinking with your girly parts and not with your head or your heart.
If you want it or don't want it, admit it. Especially to yourself. The thing with making choices is that there are no right or wrong ones. Keep it simple; it is a choice between the red and blue toothbrush.
How is either one of those wrong? Living with the choice is the bigger aspect. It's your life, and you must own it.
Honesty when making big decisions contributes to making more informed, ethical, and effective choices, fostering trust and strong relationships, and improving well-being. One study suggested that self-deception can prevent individuals from acknowledging their flaws and weaknesses, limiting personal growth and potential.
If you want that bad boy, go get him, but do it consciously knowing what you are in for. Stop making up dreams of what could be.
Stop hoping to change it. Live now and accept what you are doing in the now. Make the choice and do everything you can to make it the best choice you have made. If you don't like it, make a new one, better informed and with a little more knowledge built into your tool belt.
Audrey Groeschel is a Certified Life Coach, Positive Psychology Coach, and a Strengths, Needs, and Values Coach. She helps people use directed techniques to step into a richer life for themselves.
