12 steps to help with decision making

My alma mater plays for the National Championship on January 9. A ticket is about $2,000. I'm not going. Why? A ticket is about $2,000. That is an easy decision for me. 

If all decisions could only be as easy.

One of the best business books I've read in the last three years is 12 Factors of Business Success. It is no-nonsense, easy to read and filled with practical advice and suggestions. I recommend it. One section deals with the process of decision making.  Here are 12 ideas than can help with that process.   

1. Decisions are making choices among alternatives. There are good ones and bad ones. How something turns out is not the issue. A good decision is what happens now, not how it turns out.

2. A decision based on feeling, instinct in unfamiliar territory or lack of info about all of the alternatives is a poor decision. Base my decision on probability of outcome and the value of outcomes.

3. Unless I’m an expert in the field in which I’m making a decision, never base my decision on what feels right.

4. If I am outstanding in my field, make my decision quickly.

5. Review all the facts thoroughly, then allow myself time to think about them before reaching a conclusion.

6. Jot down notes when making a decision, write down all the solutions and include all relevant information. By seeing it in black and white, sometimes right answer becomes more obvious.

7. Do not procrastinate. Set a deadline and make the decision.

8. Make one decision at a time. Don’t allow them to build up.

9. If others will be affected by the decision, get their input.

10. Brainstorm potential consequences of each choice. What could happen? What else? How will

I handle those problems?

11. Integrity matters. When I know the right thing to do according to my value system, make a decision to do that right thing.

12. When I make the decision, let go of all of the what ifs.