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What is your decision-making process or pattern? Do you get all caught up in it, weigh the odds, act impulsively or tend to  overcomplicate? Knowing your personal whims and selection drivers can help control irrationality and impulsiveness, which can then lead to you making better decisions in tough situations.  So here are 9 Ways to Making Wiser Choices in uncertain and critical moments:

1. Weigh the odds - Starting at the end first, can help you simplify a choice you must make. Think about what you CAN and CANNOT sacrifice. This can help eliminate your options and keep things in perspective.

2. Think before you act – If you tend to act on impulsive when you’re caught up in the momentum of something, take a step back.  Give yourself a few seconds to re-evaluate your choice.

3. Explore what’s right- As my mother always says, “You can do what’s right or you can do what’s easy.”  Sometimes we want to turn a blind eye.  But then it eats at us.  Take the e whistleblowers at Enron, WorldCom, and Madoff for example.  They had to choose. Their lives became tough for a while, but at least they could look at themselves in the mirror and sleep at night knowing they’d done the right thing. You deserve the same peace of mind.  So it’s best to choose right over easy.

4. Trust your Gut – In his bestselling book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell promoted what most of us already know—the feeling in your gut is always the right feeling, even if you can’t put your finger on it. If seemingly logical choices—to take a client, job, be with someone or purchase something had your stomachs in knots, you need to recognize that red flag. Many times what you can’t consciously explain can be the difference between a good choice and something you’ll live to regret.

5. Pay attention to your emotions - Understanding your feelings and how they motivate your behavior is key to changing your personal decision-making pattern. You may be surprised by how much you do on irrational thought. Sort of like your smart girlfriend who always dates the wrong man.

6. What’s driving you? – Recognizing what is driving you and the people you choose to associate with can make a huge difference in the way you make decisions and their outcomes. Are you driven by pride, desire, greed or power? Or, is there another sensible reason you’re turning the pressure on? Knowing the answer can help you move forward or stand clear of unnecessary stress and drama.

7. Identify your motive – Choosing to keep up with the Joneses because that is what your parents want for you, or like you have something to prove, may be the right course of action, but only if you understand what you’re doing and why.  Looking at your personal motive behind your decision can help you determine if you made the wise choice.

8. Decide not to decide - When it comes down to selecting option A or B, sometimes the right choice is—C.  You have the right to a delayed response. Simply say, “I don’t care for either option at this time” or suggest another alternative to alleviate pressure and get a better result.

9. Toss a coin – Tossing a coin to call heads or tails does more than give you a choice. It shows you how happy you are with that choice. If your heart sinks when tails is declared, then you get an instant take on what you actually wanted all along.

To your success,

P.S…Oh and please leave a message below. Tell me how these tips helped you to make wiser choices and take control of your circumstances. And if you find this post helpful, please be sure to tweet it!