Emotions aren’t necessarily a bad thing in decision-making. However, it is important to channel and manage feelings to avoid reactive choices. Use this four -step approach:
- Identify the decisions you need to make. Don’t get distracted or overwhelmed. Precisely determine the specific (or primary) issue you want/need to address.
- Identify your feelings about the decision you have to make. Consider the dominant emotion you have. Anger? Fear? Hope? Putting a name to your feelings helps you keep them from driving your decisions. Instead, you can confront your feelings before you make a decision.
- Visualize your success and how it feels. Think about how it would feel to make a successful decision. Will you be relieved or proud? What will it mean to those impacted by what you decision? How will it affect your relationships? Imagining a successful conclusion can give you to confidence to focus on and weigh the facts at hand.
- Apply emotional bookends. By identifying the specific decision to be make and imagining its positive conclusion, you can start the process of weighing the issues, studying the facts, considering the consequences, and ultimately making the decision.
