Decision Making Strategies

There are a number of strategies that you can employ to improve your decision making.

Clarify decision difficulties. List the things that make your decision a difficult one. Once you clearly define the problems, the solutions are often easier to see.

List how you can obtain support. Don't underestimate the help available from friends, relatives, counselors, and others. Although the decision must ultimately be yours, you don't have to go through the decision making process alone.

Consider whether a deeper issue may be complicating things. For example, parental pressure, lack of confidence, or motivational problems that may be clouding your decision.

Consider a full range of alternatives. There could be alternatives that you may not see at first glance. Talking to others is one of the best methods to explore such alternatives.

Spend time clarifying your goals. Decisions should be put within a larger context. If you do not have clear goals, you will find it difficult to make wise choices. Once your goals are clear, the best choice between alternatives often becomes more evident.

Make sure that you have a realistic view of the consequences. It is common to overestimate the negative consequences of a decision. Keep things in perspective.

Seek additional help. If you typically have difficulty making any decision of importance, schedule an appointment with a psychologist in the Student Counseling Services Center to explore your decision-making style.

Use a step-by-step decision making process.

Adapted from Gary Lynn Harr's book, Career Guide: Road Maps to Meaning in the World of Work, 1995.