2 Relying on intuition

Another common decision making mistake is relying too much on your intuition or gut feeling. Intuition can be a valuable source of insight, especially when you have a lot of experience and knowledge. But it can also be biased, influenced by emotions, memories, assumptions, or stereotypes. Sometimes, your intuition may conflict with evidence, feedback, or best practices. To avoid this mistake, you need to balance your intuition with critical thinking, research, and consultation. You need to question your assumptions, check your facts, seek different perspectives, and weigh the pros and cons of your options.

4 Jumping to conclusions

A fourth common decision making mistake is jumping to conclusions, either by making hasty judgments, generalizing from one case to another, or ignoring alternative explanations. Jumping to conclusions can lead to misunderstandings, errors, or missed opportunities. Sometimes, you may jump to conclusions because you lack information, time, or patience. To avoid this mistake, you need to slow down, gather more data, analyze the situation, and consider multiple possibilities. You need to be curious, flexible, and open-minded.

5 Confirming your beliefs

A fifth common decision making mistake is confirming your beliefs, either by seeking information that supports your views, ignoring information that contradicts them, or interpreting information in a way that favors them. Confirming your beliefs can lead to overconfidence, prejudice, or resistance to change. Sometimes, you may confirm your beliefs because you want to be right, avoid conflict, or fit in with others. To avoid this mistake, you need to challenge your beliefs, expose yourself to diverse sources, acknowledge your biases, and accept uncertainty. You need to be humble, respectful, and adaptable.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?