The Valley of Snap Decisions

The worst decision we can make is indecision.  When it comes to choosing to help someone, using our talents or enrolling in a college extension course, we can remain in limbo and miss an opportunity.

In today's excerpt from my new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth, I share how I make some of my best decisions.

Want to know a secret for making a great decision? Do it fast! If you mull over a decision for what seems like forever, you might not make such a good one. Researchers at the University College in London did a study in which they showed a group of people a computer screen that was covered in tons of identical symbols. One of the symbols was rotated in a different direction—making it look different from all the other symbols on the screen. The volunteers were then asked which side of the screen had the rotated symbol.

The findings were interesting: When the volunteers were only given a fraction of a second to look at the screen, they got the right answer a whopping 95 percent of the time! But when they were given time to analyze and study the screen, they only got the right answer 70 percent of the time.

The reason why this happened, experts figured out, is because when you only have seconds to decide, your instincts kick in and your brain quickly helps you pick the right answer. But if you take time thinking it over (and over), you will question yourself and rethink yourself over and over again. And in many cases, you will actually toss out your best instincts!

Many people will change their minds so many times that they will pick an incorrect answer. I’m not saying that we should live in a world of only snap decisions. Of course, there are many times in life when you really need to think about your decisions such as if you want to get married, have a child, or quit your job.

A snap decision in any of those areas could lead to trouble. But this study found that in many situations going with your gut and trusting your instincts gets you the right answer.

John Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Do you need extra help in taking care of your business?  I've written a whole section on how you can make the best choices of your life. Read it in my new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth. You can buy it at your local bookstores or order it online from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.