How To Make Decisions Quicker

March 21, 2014
Estimated reading time:
1 minute

You can make life-changing decisions on the flip of a coin. I know, because I did.

If a decision is a difficult one, you need to work out WHY it's difficult. Are the two alternatives genuinely different, or is the decision difficult because whichever option you choose, the outcome will be roughly the same?

Example: it took me ages to choose where to go to university. Like, months. I wanted to go to a university somewhere in the north of England, a big red-brick university that was good academically but also in a big city with a good nightlife and plenty of students. There are a fair few unis that fit the bill.

I narrowed it down to two places - Leeds and Manchester - and agonised endlessly over the two.

Then I realised: both of these places tick all the boxes They both have everything I want from a university. Whichever one I pick, I'll probably be pretty happy. And if I'm not, it's not like it's an irreversable choice.

Still, how to pick between the two? That was easy. Flip a coin, pick one, and then go and get on with your life.

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