How to Organize One's Thoughts to Make Rational Decisions

We live in an era of distraction. The increased speed of communication has also multiplied the demands on our attention spans. The Internet is everywhere and accessible on most phones. So when the time comes to make an important decision, the problem is not access to information but rather the threat of being overwhelmed by it. This glut of information can also cause excess stress and anxiety, so that decision-making is even harder. Luckily, there are still some simple ways to get your thoughts together and make rational decisions.

Things You'll Need

• Pad of paper
• Pen or pencil

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Instructions

• 1

  Hammer out the pros and cons. The easiest way to get started on a big decision is to sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of the positive and negative aspects of the decision you are trying to make. It is important to write this list out. Seeing these concepts in black and white (or whatever color ink you write in) lends them a tangibility and saves them from being abstract concepts in your mind. It also decreases the likelihood that you will forget to list something in either the "pro" or "con" categories.

• 2

  Weigh your options. Some decisions are more complex, and have more extenuating circumstances than can be settled using a simple list of pros and cons. One way to attack such a problem is by making note of the degree to which an aspect of the decision is positive or negative by assigning each a number "score". For example, if you are trying to decide on a new apartment, and its proximity to public transportation is very important to you, you would assign that "pro" a higher score, such as 5. If one of the negatives is that the place has limited parking, you can assign that a lower score, such as 2, since you will not be driving very much. Weigh each aspect of the decision and assign it a score, and then add them up to see which side "wins". This may give you an insight into how positive and how negative you feel toward the action.

• 3

  Add a third category. The list of pros and cons does not necessarily account for gray areas, of which there are many when making a big decision. For things that are neither "good" nor "bad", add a third column, "Interesting". Items in this column add color and definition to the decision you are trying to make. To continue with the earlier example, if you are looking for a new apartment that is close to public transportation but has bad parking, an "interesting" item might be that you walk more. Walking more has positive effects, such as getting more exercise, but could have negative ones too, such as adding trip time while you walk to your car. If you want, you can add number scores to the interesting items as well, to see how that affects your final outcome. See the "Mindtools" reference below for more information on this method.