The ability to make quick decisions is an important key to success. According to Napoleon Hill, famous author who wrote the bestseller non-fiction titled “Think and Grow Rich”, the Declaration of Independence, the beginning of this free country, originated from the swift and courageous decisions made by 56 men. If they didn’t decide to make this country independent, there wouldn’t be July 4 holiday any more!

Do you struggle at making decisions? And I’m not even talking about important decisions that would change your life dramatically such as becoming an entrepreneur, getting married, and having a kid. I’m referring to the daily decisions that you have to make, such as choosing which clothes to wear in the morning, whether you would say good morning to strangers, things like that.

I have a very good example to illustrate the benefits of advance decision-making (ADM). I take the train to work in the morning, and while I’m walking to the station I usually see the janitor lady with her whole cart of cleaning tools, getting ready to start the day. I’d say good morning to her no matter how I feel that morning. I might be tired, I might be in a good mood, I might be having sore throat. But I’ve made the decision in advance that I’d smile and greet her “Good Morning!” every time I see her. It’s a simple gesture, but if I didn’t make that decision, I might just pass by her without looking if I’m not “feeling it”. I’d feel a little guilty after that because she’d expect a “Good Morning!” from me, and I struggle emotionally for a little early in the morning. Not that it’s a big deal if it happens once in a while, you and I have those kind of the days when you don’t feel like talking to anybody. But if that accumulates day by day, it’d grow into a big emotional hustle in your mind, and that’s not very effective and might even ruin your morning ride to work.

Taking it to the next level, after I hop on the train, I will start looking for seats so I can sit down and begin my commute reading (I usually read during my commute time, it’s a great way to utilize the time). Know that the Metronorth train is rather crowded in the morning, especially after 8 am. And the struggle comes when you have to start looking for empty seats, because some people would sit on aisle seat with their bags put on the window seat. Sometimes, I’d think, “Should I ask him to put away the bag so I can have a seat?” The answer usually comes in different forms: “Maybe I’ll just look for another empty seat down the aisle.” But based on experience, sometimes I’d just have the same thought over and over again and eventually reach the end of the train and just stand (but I’d still read while standing!). Or when I’m feeling great, I’d say, “Excuse me, sir, do you mind?” It’s a mental hassle, and makes me feel ineffective. So one day, I made up my mind to just ask for the empty seat whenever I see them, and sit down to enjoy my reading.

Some may have doubts, “Isn’t that inconsiderate?” But really, every single seat is supposed to be filled, and nobody has the privilege to occupy 2 seats since we all paid for it. And if you haven’t taken the Metronorth train before, there’s an overhead compartment where you could put your bags, or you could put the bag below your seat, so that solves the space problem. Of course, there’s always exception, so I’d sometimes stand if the space is really tight. The point I’m trying to make here is that decisions you make in advance will help you automate the daily thought process and actions, backed by your principles and values. It saves you so many headaches if you just have enough decisions made well before something happens, as you won’t even have to think about what to do.

Some suggested applications for you:

1) I’ll never drink alcohol again. Next time someone asks you to drink, if you’re struggling, you would tell yourself, “I’ve made the decision not to drink. I’m going to stick to my commitment.” Note that I do drink occasionally, but that’s my decision. It’s yours to decide the “what”.

2) I’ll never swear again.

3) I’ll always be patient to my spouse no matter how I feel.

4) I’ll always greet strangers whom I make eye contact with.

There are millions of things you can apply ADM on. I’ll leave it to your imagination. Hope this will help you the next time you feel frustrated at an annoying decision-making process that could have been solved in advance. Remember, the less you have to think about unimportant things, the more time you have to think about the important matters.

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