Have you met someone who just couldn’t seem to do anything wrong? Most of the time, people like this are those who are highly successful in life. They may not be extremely wealthy, but they continue to be successful in whatever it is they set their sights on. Have you ever wondered how they seem to be able to make the best decisions continuously?

You might think that maybe these people have had an easy life. Maybe they weren’t faced with tough challenges. However, some highly successful people have experienced the worst that life could give them. Take for example the famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking or Nick Vujicic, one of the greatest inspirational men today. If you look at their physical situation, you would be scratching your head trying to figure out how they became so successful.

The Difference Between “right” and “best” Decisions

Many people believe that to be successful in life, you need to make the right decisions. Though it may be true that making the correct decisions will help you succeed, the most outstanding characteristic of highly successful people is the ability to make the “best” decisions.

Making the right decision all the time is impossible. No one is that lucky. If you had the ability to make the right decision every single day, you would be the wealthiest person on the planet just by winning the lottery for every single draw.

However, it is possible to make the “best” decision in most cases. All you need to know is how.

Step 1: Understand the situation

Many people, when faced with a big decision, fail to fully grasp the situation and therefore increase the possibility of making the wrong decision. If you want to increase the chances of making the best decision, you’ll first need to analyze the situation carefully.

Step 2: Imagine the possible outcomes

In chess, players train themselves to imagine the possible outcome of each move they and their opponents make. However, life isn’t like a game of chess where every piece has a fixed move and there are strict rules. Nevertheless, by analyzing your situation carefully, you’ll be able to imagine the possible outcomes of the options available to you.

Step 3: Play the devil’s advocate

Decisions can be challenged and proven wrong. Therefore, if you want to make the best decision, play the devil’s advocate and try to prove why your decision might be the wrong one. Look for the possible faults. If you can convince yourself that you’re making the best decision despite the faults you’ve identified, then it will probably be the best decision.

Step 4: Have a Plan B

Understand that making the best decision will not always mean that it will be the right one. In life, there are many factors out of your control. Therefore, you need to know how to react should your decision turn out to be incorrect despite your best efforts. Always have a Plan B no matter what decision you need to make.

A business coach can guide you in identifying your options and arriving at the best decision for you.