Dr. Mazlan Abbas provides 6 tips for making the right decision: 1) Gather all relevant information; 2) Set a deadline to make the decision to avoid overthinking; 3) Make a pros and cons list for each option, weighting factors by importance; 4) Get a second opinion from someone unbiased; 5) Get in the right mindset by being well-rested and reducing anxiety; 6) Sleep on the decision to allow unconscious processing that may lead to a better choice. The tips emphasize a thorough and objective process of evaluating options rather than relying solely on emotions.

1. Tips
in
Making
the
“Right”
Decision
Dr.
Mazlan
Abbas

2. Tip
1:
Gather
all
of
the
Informa@on
Many
of
us
go
with
what
“feels
right”
when
making
decisions;
however,
the
outcome
of
important
decisions
should
not
depend
solely
on
how
you
are
feeling
at
that
exact
moment
in
=me,
as
feelings
can
change
quite
drama=cally
from
one
day
to
the
next.
Before
consul=ng
your
gut
feeling,
try
to
take
into
account
all
the
important
facts
and
assess
the
implica=ons
of
each
outcome.
Consider
what
the
risks
are
with
each
outcome,
who
it
will
affect
and
whether
it
is
feasible.
Looking
back
on
past
decisions
–
and
par=cularly
past
mistakes
–
is
also
one
of
the
best
learning
tools
at
your
disposal
and
can
help
you
to
realise
why
certain
decisions
worked
or
were
unsuccessful
in
the
past.

3. Tip
2:
Set
Yourself
a
Deadline
While
weighing
up
your
op=ons
is
an
important
part
of
the
decision-­‐making
process,
spending
too
much
=me
seeking
out
possible
solu=ons
and
trying
to
pinpoint
the
“right”
one
can
actually
make
the
process
more
difficult
and
stressful
than
it
needs
to
be.
While
a
certain
period
of
=me
should
be
alloIed
for
considering
your
op=ons,
it
can
help
to
set
a
deadline
for
making
your
decision
and
s=ck
to
it.
Decide
what
would
be
a
realis=c
amount
of
=me
for
making
your
decision
and
write
the
date
down
somewhere
for
your
reference.
Knowing
with
certainty
that
from
this
date
onwards
your
decision
will
be
made
(whatever
that
decision
may
be)
can
actually
be
a
weight
off
your
mind.

4. Tip
3:
Make
a
Pros
and
Cons
List
It’s
the
age-­‐old
technique
for
making
decisions,
but
wri=ng
down
a
list
of
the
pros
and
cons
of
each
of
your
op=ons
is
also
one
of
the
most
effec=ve
ways
to
make
a
sensible
and
well
thought
out
decision.
Write
down
all
your
op=ons,
then
dedicate
a
separate
sheet
of
paper
to
each.
Draw
a
line
down
the
centre
of
each
sheet
and
write
a
list
of
all
the
pros
(or
benefits)
of
the
op=on
down
one
side
of
the
division
and
all
the
cons,
or
disadvantages,
down
the
other.
Rather
than
coun=ng
up
the
number
of
pros
and
cons
for
each
op=on,
it
is
important
to
“weight”
each
point
according
to
how
significant
it
is,
grading
each
point
on
a
scale
of
one
to
five,
for
example,
in
terms
of
importance.

5. Tip
4:
Get
a
Second
Opinion
Going
with
your
gut
ins=nct
oSen
means
that
your
decisions
are
highly
swayed
by
emo=on,
which
may
not
lead
to
you
doing
the
right
thing.
To
beIer
see
the
bigger
picture,
try
to
get
a
second
opinion
on
what
you
should
do
from
someone
you
trust
and
who
does
not
have
a
vested
interest
in
the
outcome.
Consul=ng
an
older
person
may
also
be
beneficial,
as
research
results
published
in
the
journal
Psychological
Science
indicate
that
while
younger
people
are
oSen
mo=vated
by
immediate
results,
older
adults
are
beIer
at
evalua=ng
the
delayed
benefits
,
as
well
as
the
immediate
ones,
when
making
decisions.
Also,
make
sure
that
you
are
listening
to
what
your
chosen
person
is
really
saying
and
not
forming
an
interpreta=on
to
fit
in
with
what
you
want.

6. Tip
5:
Get
in
the
Right
Mindset
If
you’ve
got
a
big
decision
to
make,
it’s
important
to
try
to
increase
your
mental
clarity
and
focus.
To
get
yourself
in
the
right
frame
of
mind,
make
sure
you
are
well
rested
before
tackling
your
problem.
Also,
try
snacking
on
natural
yoghurt,
which
is
rich
in
iodine
and
zinc,
which
can
both
help
to
boost
mental
clarity
and
brain
func=on,
and
the
probio=c
bacteria
Lactobacillus
casei,
which
researchers
from
Toronto
University
found
can
decrease
anxiety,
helping
to
put
you
in
a
calmer
frame
of
mind
for
decision-­‐making.
Studies
have
also
found
that
regular
medita=on
can
improve
decision-­‐making
by
helping
you
to
use
different
areas
of
your
brain
in
the
process.

7. Tip
6:
Sleep
On
It
Many
of
us
have
heard
the
advice
to
“sleep
on
it”
when
faced
with
an
important
decision,
and
research
has
found
that
catching
some
Zs
could
actually
help
you
to
make
beIer
choices.
Research
has
shown
that
sleep
can
help
us
to
organise
memories
and
process
informa=on
so
that
we
can
actually
make
beIer
decisions
when
we
allow
our
unconscious
to
work
on
our
problems.
Furthermore,
it’s
not
just
sleep
that
works;
daydreaming
has
similar
results.
Researchers
at
the
University
of
Bri=sh
Columbia
found
that
when
par=cipants’
minds
wandered,
the
parts
of
their
brain
associated
with
problem-­‐solving
became
more
ac=ve
than
when
focused
on
rou=ne
tasks,
allowing
them
to
work
through
difficult
dilemmas.

8. Tip
7:
Flip
a
Coin
If
your
decision-­‐making
deadline
is
near
and,
aSer
some
serious
delibera=on,
you
are
no
closer
to
making
your
decision,
it
may
be
=me
to
trust
your
gut
ins=nct
and
go
with
what
you
really
want.
Not
sure
what
that
is?
It’s
=me
to
flip
a
coin.
While
flipping
a
coin
may
not
seem
like
the
most
sensible
way
to
make
a
big
decision,
the
technique
may
be
more
effec=ve
than
you
think.
While
you
do
not
have
to
go
with
the
coin’s
verdict,
your
response
to
the
outcome
will
help
you
to
realise
how
you
really
feel
about
each
op=on
and
discover
what
it
is
you
really
want.
Good
luck!.