MAKING THE RIGHT KIND OF DECISIONS

We make thousands of decisions everyday. We want to make the RIGHT KIND of decisions. Why? So we can have less stress... so we can live a more fruitful life... so we can be the best we can be!

Making confident, well thought out decisions that are executed to bring about positive and sustained change is a skill that everyone should attempt to master. Before I make a decision:

* I ask my spouse and listen.

* I gather all the facts.

* I look at it from all the different perspectives. To do this, I put on several different hats to help me in the decision-making process. There's the...

White "GOOD GUY" Hat:

With this thinking hat I focus on the data available. I look at the information I have, and see what I can learn from it. I look for gaps in my knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them. This is where I analyze past trends, and try to access from gathered data.

Red "FIREMAN" Hat:

Wearing the red hat, I look at what other fires I am going to have to put out as a result of this decision, and ready myself to put out some fires.

Black "BART" Hat:

Just say no from the start. Using "Black Hat" negative thinking, I look at all the bad points of the decision, cautiously and defensively, to see why it might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points in a plan and allows me to eliminate them, alter them, or prepare contingency plans to counter them.

Yellow "SMILEY FACE" Hat:

The yellow hat helps me to think positively. It's the optimistic viewpoint that helps me to see all the benefits of the decision and the value of it. "Yellow Hat" thinking helps me to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult.

Green "HUNTER" Hat:

The green hat stands for creativity. CAUTION here: sometimes creative thinking and rash decision making may cause there to be a lot of chomping from the alligators and snappers. This is where one can develop creative solutions to a challenge. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas.

After I have gathered all the facts, checked with my spouse, looked at things from a variety of perspectives I basically have done my due diligence and go ahead with my decision if things make sense.