In our research, we have consistently found that when people make decisions meticulously, merely using a careful process provides motivation and encourages them to persist. Here is a list of the good things that happen when people decide deliberately and thoughtfully:
1) Meticulous Decision Making Signals Effort Investment and Produces Desire to Achieve.
The meticulous process of deciding signals effort investment, and it encourages the person into continuing the effort during decision enactment.
2) A Meticulous Decision Making Process Encourages Detailed Planning.
Social psychologists make the distinction between goals and plans. Let’s say I choose the goal of getting to the airport by 8 am. To achieve this goal, I will also need some concrete plan with action items such as, “Get up at 5 am,” “Take the toll-road because it has less traffic,” “Park in XYZ parking lot because it is cheaper,” and so on. Research has shown that when people choose goals with thought and effort, they are then more likely to form complete and feasible plans. On the other hand, decisions reached quickly come with half-baked plans.
3) Meticulous Decision Making Produces Anticipated Emotions.
When making decisions deliberately and thoughtfully, people are also more likely to think about how they will feel afterward or what social psychologists call as the experience of “anticipated emotions.”
The key point of this post is that making decisions meticulously and considering all the pros and cons involved diligently, or in other words, making a “good” decision produces significant benefits for us even after we have made the decision.
Category(s):Self-Esteem
Source material from Psychology Today
