Step 3 of Decision Making: Revisit and Manage Your Decisions
Now you've analyzed your options and made a decision. Now what?
You aren't out of the woods just yet.
There is a good chance that what you decide may ended up better than what you expected. But there is also the possibility that it may end up worse than you had expected. But if you've prepared yourself for the possibilities, you will be better prepared to pivot and adjust your decision accordingly.
What Do I Need to Do After I Make My Decision?
1) Prepare yourself for what will and could happen.
There is a good chance that what you expect to happen as a result of your decision may not actually come into fruition. Assume the best and worse case scenarios and have a contingency plan for what to do should these scenario pan out. Humans are not as good at predicting the future as we think we are. Just look at the stock market, where the majority of traders lose money.
Consider likely possibilities and what your actions will be should the possibilities become realities. Imagine yourself 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years from now. If you make the decision and it goes against you, would you regret it 10 minutes from your decision? What about 10 months or even 10 years?
2) Set a deadline to evaluate your decision
After you make a decision, give yourself some time to have the decision pan out before you decide to pivot.
A friend of mine had just quit working at a Big 4 Accounting firm to work at a computer gaming company. He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision, but he decided that he would reevaluate after a year.
After a year, he determined that the gaming company wasn't a good fit for himself and has since move on to another company. By setting a deadline to reevaluate a decision, it keeps you from staying content. Instead it forces you to get out of a rut if you are in one.
Ask yourself, what happened to your decision? Did it work out? A year has past since your decision, was it a success? Why or why not?
Missed the other parts?