It's Your Decision

POOR DECISIONS, POOR OUTCOMES

      When asked, "Have you ever been taught how to make a decision?" people usually give the same sheepish answer: "No, I haven't." They have never learned how to make decisions properly. Not at school, not at home, not anywhere. Even if they have been taught decision-making skills, they didn't pay attention for some reason, thinking that it was too simple a thing or not that important. Recognizing that shortcoming has always been a great starting point for our counseling and teaching.

      It is generally assumed that when people have to make important decisions in their lives they will just know how to do it. Thirty-two years of helping people make a variety of life decisions have proved to us how wrong that assumption is. Decision making isn't a skill that comes naturally. People, regardless of their ages, need to learn how to make decisions about their lives and their careers.

      We have observed that people who learn how to make good decisions have better chances of achieving favorable outcomes and having more acceptable lives. Unfortunately, many individuals make poor choices throughout their lives, and these poor choices lead to unsatisfactory outcomes that then result in dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

      Stated simply, a good decision produces a favorable outcome based on what's important to the decision maker. A bad decision results in unfavorable outcomes. How satisfied people are with their lives is directly related to how effective they are at making good decisions.