The Risky Road of Decision-Making

I have had my share of making bad decisions over the years. I have also seen others make bad decisions. But in one’s decision-making, the question I have always considered is: “Was it really their decision?”

More often than not, I’ve realised that behind every decision, there are usually the opinions, views and ideologies of another. There is always someone who “advised” or, had an instrumental part to play, in the making of a decision. It is not until after the decision has been made; perhaps when faced with the consequences of it, that the ‘decision maker’ is left defending a decision that they can’t really defend assuredly- because it wasn’t really their decision.

We must always remember that in spite of the various opinions we choose to listen to, concerning any situation, the ultimate decision will always lie in our hands.

Steve Jobs was right when he said “Always have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want…”

Advice is just advice! It is that simple. Don’t ever feel compelled to take someone’s advice. You can use it as a tool, to guide you in your decision-making, but don’t allow it to form the basis of your decision, until your heart is in agreement.

“Decisions are sometimes risks, rooted in the courage of being free.”

A man who fails to make his own decisions, can never be said to belong to himself. Decisions are no easy task. Some people are better at positive decision-making than others, but I would rather stick with the person who takes longer to make an informed decision of his own, than go with the person who is quick to make a decision; not because he fully understands or is persuaded by the reasoning behind it, but because an “intelligent friend” suggested so.

Time after time, we fail to ask ourselves an important question, before throwing ourselves into decision-making. What is the impact of the decision?

We need to recognise that, sometimes decisions are risks rooted in the courage of being free. I believe in risk taking. At times in my life, I have had to make instant decisions, but I always make sure that I take calculated risks. First I weigh up the consequences, then I form a decision on the basis of it.

Does that mean I haven’t got it wrong before? No. I have got it wrong numerous times, but I have avoided a lot of mess by doing it this way.

Many take what I call “Uncalculated Risks”. Just because it looks good now, doesn’t guarantee that it will still look good in five years. Think, how long will the impact of the decision last? Are you ready to go down that road?

Put your family, relationships and whatever matters to you into perspective. Take some advice from those you trust, friends and mentors, then draw your conclusions from there.

I always ensure I am the one making the decision and not others. This is because ultimately, we must accept responsibility for the actions we take. We cannot blame it on others despite how involved they were in making those decisions.

We will all have to make decisions in our lives, let’s ensure that these are heartfelt decisions and not just the opinions of someone else.

Cheers to the risky road of decision-making!