How to Make Better Decisions: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults

Having a good life, especially when you're an adult, depends on stacking as many good choices together as you can. Whether you're choosing a college, deciding who to surround yourself with, or figuring out your career path, it can all feel confusing or even overwhelming. But here's the thing: you don't have to face it alone. With the right tools and mindset, I believe you can navigate these choices confidently and wisely. Let me show you how. In this artlicle I'll give you some strategies that you can use to make the decision-making process a little easier, and feel better about the choices you make.

1. Explore Proverbs: Wisdom in Short Sentences

A proverb is a concise statement that conveys universal truths and wisdom. They offer guidance distilled from generations of experiences. For instance:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your decisions acknowledge Him." This teaches the importance of faith and trust in divine guidance, especially in uncertain situations.
"When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his actions." This highlights how decision-making can be understood by observing the outcomes of one's actions.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." This highlights the value of collaboration and learning from others to grow and improve.
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." A motivational message about the importance of taking the first step towards achieving any goal.
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." A humorous yet insightful reminder of the power of silence in moments of uncertainty.

By reflecting on such proverbs, you can gain insights into the potential outcomes of your decisions. They serve as mental checkpoints, prompting you to think twice and consider various perspectives before making a choice.

2. Strategic Thinking: Planning Your Moves

Think of life as a game of chess. Every move you make has consequences, and strategic thinking involves planning several steps ahead. Here's how to incorporate strategic thinking into your decision-making:

Set Clear Goals: Understand what you want to achieve. Having a clear end goal will guide your decisions.
Evaluate Options: Consider all possible choices and their potential outcomes.
Anticipate Obstacles: Think about what could go wrong and how you'd handle it.
Make Informed Decisions: Always gather information and different perspectives before deciding.

By approaching decisions strategically, you position yourself to make choices that align with where you want to be long-term.

3. First Principles Thinking: Breaking It Down

We make a lot more assumptions in life than we think we do. That causes us to make choices that actually reflect those assumptions more so than being a reflection of what we actually wanted to accomplish. First principles thinking is like breaking things down to the basics and thinking for yourself. Instead of just doing what everyone else does or going along with what you’ve been told, you ask yourself: what’s the real deal here? What am I ultimately or fundamentally aiming at? By looking at things from the ground up, you can come up with smarter, more original ideas. It helps you make choices that actually make sense to you, instead of just following the usual path. This approach allows you to:

Identify the Core Elements: By breaking a problem into its most basic components, you can see things more clearly and without bias.
Find Unique Solutions: With a deeper understanding of the basics, you're more likely to come up with innovative ideas that others might miss.

When you're making decisions, using first principles thinking can help you get to the heart of the issue. For example, when choosing a career, start by asking yourself the basics: "What skills are actually needed for this job?" "What does the day-to-day work really look like?" "Does this career fit with what I care about and what I am capable of doing?" Instead of just going with the flow or following the crowd, you're making your choice based on how the situation fits you specifically.

The same goes for relationships. Ask yourself this, "What's the purpose of a relationship to begin with?" "What factors tend to come with relationships in general (that would be true regardless of who I was with?" "What skills do you typically need to have in order for them to be successful?" When you ask yourself questions like these, you step out of yourself a bit, and therefore you step out some of the assumptions you might be making. Doing that helps you to see more clearly and think more accurately.

4. Pro/ Con Charts: Weighing the Options

A classic yet effective tool, pro/ con charts help visualize the advantages and disadvantages of a decision. To create one:

Draw a Line Down the Middle of a Page: Label one side "Pros" and the other "Cons."
List the Benefits and Drawbacks: Be honest and comprehensive in your listings.
Evaluate the Weight of Each Point: Not all pros and cons carry the same weight. Consider which points are most significant to you.

This visual representation can clarify which option has more favorable outcomes and assist in making balanced decisions. If there are more cons than pros, then you know not go forward without doing more investigation. Likewise, if you don't know enough to know what put on the chart to begin with, that's also a sign that you probably shouldn't go forward yet.

5. Be Clear on Your Priorities

Before making a decision, especially significant ones like choosing a college or job, define what success looks like for you. Create a list of desired traits or outcomes:

Identify Must-Haves: What are the non-negotiable elements you need?
Consider Nice-to-Haves: What aspects would be beneficial but aren't deal-breakers?
Reflect on Deal-Breakers: Are there any factors that would make an option unacceptable?

Instead of just following what society says a relationship should be like, think about what’s most important to you. What qualities do you really want in a partner? What’s a deal-breaker for you, and where can you be flexible? What kind of connection do you want to have, and why? By focusing on these core questions, you'll be better equipped to build relationships that align with your true values and goals. By outlining these criteria, you can assess each option against your personal standards and choose the one that best aligns with your vision of success.

6. See if You Have a Gut Feeling

While it's essential to analyze and plan, don't underestimate the power of your intuition—your "gut feeling." Intuition is your subconscious drawing from past experiences and knowledge to guide you. Here's how to harness it:

Pause and Reflect: Take a moment to listen to your inner feelings about a decision.
Consider Past Experiences: Have you faced similar situations before? What was the outcome?
Balance Intuition with Analysis: Use your gut feelings as one input among others, ensuring a well-rounded decision-making process.

Trusting your intuition can provide valuable insights, especially when data is limited or when a decision doesn't have a clear right or wrong answer.

7. Seeking Guidance: Learning from Others

There's a saying, "Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from other people's mistakes." You're not alone in your decision-making journey. Lots of people have tried what you are trying to do, and they have stories of both success and failure that you can learn from. Seek advice from trusted individuals who have more experience:

Mentors and Teachers: They can offer perspectives based on their knowledge and experiences.
Read biographies or watch long-form interviews: Successful people often give blueprints on how to be successful, all you have to do is listen to them.
Family Members: They know you well and can provide personalized advice.
Peers: Sometimes, discussing with friends can help you see different angles of a decision.

Remember, while others can provide guidance, the final decision rests with you. Use their insights to inform your choice, not dictate it.

8. Embracing Mistakes: Learning and Growing

Understand that not every decision will lead to success, and that's okay. Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities. When things don't go as planned:

Reflect on the Experience: What went wrong? What could you have done differently?
Apply the Lessons Learned: Use these insights to make better decisions in the future.
Be Kind to Yourself: Everyone makes mistakes. It's a natural part of growth.

By viewing mistakes as stepping stones rather than setbacks, you build resilience and wisdom.

9. Practicing Decision-Making: Start Small

Like any skill, decision-making improves with practice. Start with smaller decisions to build your confidence. Like any skill, decision-making improves with consistent practice. If you're looking to enhance your decision-making ability, it’s important to start with smaller, less complex choices. This allows you to gradually build confidence and understanding of your own decision-making processes before taking on more significant, high-stakes decisions. Start with low-risk decisions, such as what to eat or which route to take.