Decision Making a Skill

Analysis Paralysis is something draws you into an opponent to hone in for you. Like the life in the boxing ring, making good decisions quickly will determine the quickness of your reflexes, the speed of your punches, and quite frankly, your power.

Stick to your mission.

In a start-up especially, every big decision you make must be within the scope of your mission. You don’t have the mental or physical resources to spread your net too wide and still succeed.

 Set Clear Goals

For effective decision-making, you have to have a goal in mind. Not just any goal: you need a clear, concrete and specific goal. When you’re in a situation that requires a heat-of-the-moment decision, having a clear-cut goal in mind ahead of time will make that decision much easier on you.

Set a Decision-Making Deadline

Life tends to get in the way, not just of our actions but our thoughts. Setting a decision-making deadline can help you with focusing your thoughts and making good decisions quickly. Otherwise, your mind is likely to wander to everything else going on in your life.

If you think about it, boxing is excellent training for your mind. In the heat of the moment, you don’t have time for deviating thoughts. The pressure of the moment forces your mind to focus on what needs to be done now.

 Avoid decision fatigue.

Decision fatigue saps focus and reduces mental energy. Hundreds of trivial daily decisions degrade our ability to focus. I try to systematize small decisions so I don’t have to sweat the small stuff—task lists and mindful habit cultivation are key. When an important decision needs making, I’m ready to give my full attention.

—Vik Patel, Future Hosting

Control what you can control.

At some point, a leader has to wear multiple hats until they have a team to offload responsibility. It’s important to focus on what is in your direct control. Worrying about things outside of your control will result in delaying projects. The more you focus on what you can control, the quicker you will be at making big decisions.

—Drew Gurley, Redbird Advisors

Understand pattern recognition.

Most of what we face each day is similar to other scenarios we have already experienced. By understanding this, it’s possible to quickly map a range of previous experiences and their outcomes. Leverage those to arrive at the most viable decision for this case. Over time, as you continue making decisions, their speed and quality will improve.

—Jeff Jahn, DynamiX

Be an Observer

If you have to make a split-second decision, which happens often in boxing, you don’t have much time to think, let alone set a deadline. For situations like these, you’ll need to learn to become an observer.

When you’re in the middle of a fight, you must be able to analyze as much information as possible, and then translate that into action. Based on the situation, you can use what you know to make strategic decisions. When you’re paying attention to the situation you’re facing, you’ll be more likely to make a logical decision should you have to.

Be an observer in life! Focus on being conscious and aware within each moment and soaking up all that you can. Observe the world around you. Listen to understand– not just to respond– and take some time to ponder what it all means.

Get Rid of Bad Options

We human beings have a hard time saying goodbye, even to things that don’t benefit us. Whether it be that pile of papers you’ll probably never go through, dusty decorations that haven’t been hung up years, or that old-school 80’s jacket with the shoulder pads, we don’t like getting rid of things. The same is true when it comes to options.

It’s good to have options, but too many can be overwhelming. Just because an option has a little bit of benefit in it, doesn’t mean it’s a viable choice. Do a spring cleaning. Get rid of anything that is not going to move you closer to your ultimate goal.

Embrace uncertainty.

Start-ups win by speed, not clairvoyance. When you’re trying to do something new, you won’t have 100 per cent of the information you think you need; there aren’t always industry reports or best practices to adhere to, so accept that you will be wrong 25 per cent of the time and try to make as many decisions as possible, followed by execution.

 Choose among alternatives

Here is the part of the decision-making process where you, you know, make the decision. Hopefully, you’ve identified and clarified what decision needs to be made, gathered all relevant information, and developed and considered the potential paths to take. You are perfectly prepared to choose from.