Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Decision Making!

I'm not good at it.

Well, it's not that I'm not good at it...in general I would say I make pretty good decisions. The problem is, it usually takes me a LONG time to make them, and the general process is usually borderline traumatic.*

Last May I did this exhaustive personality test that covers all the major points and tells you what your goals are, what your usual behavior is, what causes you stress, how you respond to that stress, gives suggestions on how to manage stress in that particular area, and oh so much more.

Today I was reminded about this personality test and decided to have a look through the results again, since it's been quite a long time since looking at it.

One of my pages on decision making says this:

"You generally dislike making quick or snap decisions. It is your nature to think things through carefully before acting. You are able to see many shades of gray, and consider the subtle sides of issues that others may miss.

Strengths: thoughtful, reflective, concerned about consequences

Need: It is important for you to have ample time to carry out your thoughtful approach to making decisions - looking carefully at all aspects of issues and considering the consequences of each.

Causes of stress: Since you constantly think of other ways that a project could be handled, you may have difficulty coping with a problem in a casual manner. Being pushed to make a decision can you make you feel rushed and hurried, leading to feelings of insecurity.

Possible reactions when needs are not met: indecision, over-emphasis on future, negative reaction to quick decisions."

There's quite a bit more, but this was the basic summary.

At the moment, I'm currently trying to make some big decisions (how much longer to stay here? Where should I go to seminary? What degree should I seek? Should I take some business courses as well?). I still have a bit of time left (a month, more or less, on the seminary bit) so thankfully I'm not yet to the stress point.

So let me ask you:

What do you think are some important things I should consider before making my final decision? Any tips on going about making the decision? If you've been to/are in seminary, what suggestions do you have?

Some of the tips suggested to me through the personality test are:
Establish a schedule
Make a list of pros and cons
Focus on one or two options at a time and slowly narrow them down

Anybody got anymore advice? How do you make decisions?

*The major exception to this general rule is when I decided to go to Texas A&M. While I still followed my general process of checking out options, considering consequences, etc, the moment I saw the giant "Welcome to Aggieland" water tower I pretty much made up my mind, even though it was only the second university I considered. The campus tour and advisor meeting that followed just served to reinforce my gut feeling and justify my seemingly snap decision.

2 comments:

Kyle said...

You should come here...because miss you and I'm here. And because SWBTS is a fun acronym to say. Seriously. Try it out a few times... ;)

It really would be great to have you here, but I'll be praying for whatever you decide!

Daniel said...

Yep that's the good ol Birkman for you! I've told you my thoughts on seminary. You shouldn't try to make the decision when you are under major stress from anything else I think. You want to act under your "best" behavior =)