Well, as I so often say: that depends.
But generally speaking, I don’t love the prep work required to make a decision, so I try to get to the decision point as quickly as possible. To me, the best decision is a done decision.
I don’t usually take forever to choose a menu item, I’m pretty quick to decide how I want to spend my day, and I am not a person who researches things forever before making a decision.
Other evidence that I am a pretty fast decision-maker: committees drive me CRAZY. The waffling and debating and such feels so slow to me.
I like being able to make a fast decision without having to weigh every possible pro/con. I don’t derive any joy from the prep for making a decision…I want that stage to be over as quickly as possible.
This kind of ties into why I don’t like trip-planning either. The whole process of planning a trip is just a bunch of pre-decision legwork and overall, I give that zero stars.
My ideal decision-making process is: identify a need, look at solutions, and stop as soon as the first good-enough solution appears.
For example, a few weeks ago, when I was considering my dinner-making problems, I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should buy a better crock-pot.”
So, I hopped over to America’s Test Kitchen, saw their top rated crock-pot (didn’t even read the rest of the list), ordered it, and called it done.
Now, this prompt asked, “Are you GOOD at decision-making?”, and I haven’t really answered that.
Basically, I’m not sure if I’m good at it, but I do at least know I can be fast at it. Ha.
I’m not great at it. I’m not the worst but if you ask me what I want for dinner at 4:00 well … we’re probably not eating that night unless someone else can figure it out.
I can decide on what I like and dislike, though. So that’s a good skill, I suppose.
My husband researches and researches, but I am of the make-a-quick-decision mind. A few years into our marriage, we designed a system that drives both of us a little crazy but neither of us a lot crazy. Example: when we were ready to buy a house, I told him what I was interested in and said I would look at three houses max and we would buy one of them. And that is what happened. Same with our vehicles or other major purchases like a large TV or new computer. He has a week to do his non-stop research and then we do something about it. It has worked very well for us over 38 years. Little things are not an issue, since neither one of us cares a lot about things like furnishings or paint colors. In those cases, whatever is cheaper is usually what we go with. If it is something really small and we each want something different, we get both. That is why we buy two different kinds of milk, for example.
Lindsey, it took us 4.5 years to find our second home. We looked at more than a few houses during that time! We loved our first home, and didn’t really want to move, but it was time due to a few factors.
My husband can be even more of a slow decision maker than I am. He is more cautious.
I love to plan trips and make those kind of decisions so after what I consider due research I decide away. My husband and I both do lots of research before committing. It works for us.
I’m chuckling here because this is totally what I did last time Mr. FG and I needed to plan a trip. I said, “Could you narrow this down to what you think are the best three options, and then I can look at those options with you?”
Nothing deep to say here (I do not think I am a good decision maker, since I tend to only consider cost)….. but just want to say that your picture is GORGEOUS!!!! I would definitely purchase it to hang as a permanent picture in a home. Beautiful, clear, crisp colors. I don’t know if I am the only one who thinks this, but just wanted to commend you on your photography skills.
Oh, thank you! I took this one with my phone when I was out for a walk the other morning.
I am pretty good at deciding upon what works out for the best, so in that way, yes, I’m pretty good at decision making. Sometimes I have regrets, but most often, I don’t.
Ask me at a restaurant what I would like to eat, and I will be the last one at the table to decide. Ask me if I want to see this movie or that movie, and I’ll answer in a second. I don’t know why it is, but some things I struggle with deciding, while others, I have no trouble at all making a quick decision. It doesn’t bother me too much though – for comparison, I have a sibling who takes FOREVER to make almost any decision, and will drive the rest of us nearly insane. For example, after keeping us at a store for two hours to decide on one purchase, she might very well return the item the next day. My indecisions are trifling compared to that.
Not great, but better than I used to be. Getting to know and respect myself helps, and realizing that if I make an imperfect decision, I will be able to adjust or correct it, so it’s not the end of the world. A good part of aging and surviving difficult things is much less anxiety about stuff. However, for me, quickly buying appliances wouldn’t be good, or frugal, I don’t think! That’s a thing I’ve learned not to do!
I don’t know what being “good” at making decisions means….
I do know that I usually make decisions pretty fast! Small ones and the big ones that is.
And to me planning an upcoming vacation is not about making decisions. It is about – well, planning…..and it is the kind of planning I just loooove because it builds up my anticipation.