Decision Making is an important part of life. We make decisions every day and at every level of our activity. It may be something as easy as deciding what to have for dinner or something more challenging such as a decision involving business, your career or personal finance. And some big decisions have significant consequences or risk attached to them, so it is important to put in your best efforts in making these decisions.

And even if you collect all the relevant facts to make an informed decision, there are still external influences at play, which affect your ability to make decisions. The main priority therefore is to prepare not just for known factors but also for external forces and other unforeseen events.

Of course knowledge, proper judgment and experience are all important in being able to make the right decision, intuition and gut feeling also play a part. You will find many business ventures become a reality just by following intuition and gut feeling. Overall, you could say that broad experience, perceptive analysis and long sightedness are all critical for making the right decisions.

Of course, most of us do not have enough grey hairs or experience to be considered wise. And although we can seek advice from more experienced colleagues, we all still need to have the ability to make confident decisions on our own.

This is where being able to think clearly and in detail will greatly assist you. You need to be able to analyze the probable outcome that your decision making will cause. Knowing the likely outcome will also provide clarity to your thinking. When considering the outcomes, it is better to be prepared for the best and worst cases than the middle of the road option.

At times a problem or issue may overwhelm you and you may find yourself confused and uncertain about making a decision. By considering all the options objectively and choosing the most appropriate one, your priorities will become clear.

A simple tool you can use to assist you to analyze different aspects of a decision is Mind Mapping. As Mind Maps are based on non-linear methods of using only key words and phrases rather than the conventional linear method of text, it is a simple way to capture the flow of your thinking on the issue or problem in question. You will be able to give your full focus to the issue or problem at hand, and work through the process in depth.

Also, since Mind Mapping is based on identifying connections, it helps you to tie up all the different parts and loose ends of your decision making process. Mind Maps will allow you to see the linkages and connections between, as well as the consequences of, different aspects of your decision. In addition, Mind Maps tap into the ability of your brain to think laterally. This involves brainstorming your thoughts and letting them flow in different directions without constraint, even if an idea or thought seems irrelevant.

So with Mind Mapping you can look at various options and make an informed analysis based on the consequences of such a decision. You can prioritize your options, see the linkages between different elements of your decision and based on these, make the right decision. Mind Maps are therefore an extremely valuable tool in leading you through the process of decision making.

And the more astute you become in decision making, the greater your sense of achievement and fulfillment. Take advantage of this mind tool and learn Mind Mapping today.