Finally, it is time to make the decision!

Your information-gathering should have provided sufficient data on which to base a decision, and you now know the advantages and disadvantages of each option. It is, as the television programme Opportunity Knocks had it, ‘Make Your Mind Up Time’.

Warning!

You may get to this stage and have a clear ‘winner’ but still feel uncomfortable. If that is the case, do not be afraid to revisit the process. You may not have listed all the pros and cons, or you may have placed an unsuitable weighting on one factor.

Your intuition or ‘gut feeling’ is a strong indicator of whether the decision is right for you and fits with your values.

If possible, it is best to allow time to reflect on a decision once it has been reached.  It is preferable to sleep on it before announcing it to others. Once a decision is made public, it is difficult to change.

For important decisions it is worth always keeping a record of the steps you followed in the decision-making process. That way, if you are ever criticised for making a bad decision you can justify your thoughts based on the information and processes you used at the time. By keeping a record and engaging with the decision-making process, you will be strengthening your understanding of how it works, which can make future decisions easier to manage.