When was the last time you procrastinated on an important task? When was the last time you ate too much? Bought something you didn’t really need? Made a bad decision at work?

Admit it. Most of the decisions we make aren’t all good; some of them make us feel regretful after. In some cases, they can make us feel embarrassed and even mad at ourselves.

Learning how to make better decisions can’t give you results overnight, but here are 4 strategies to help you out.

Why Do We Make Bad Decisions?

You can blame your brain for that. Ideally, we are rational beings. It’s what sets us apart from animals.

However, despite being capable of using logic, our emotions often get the best of us. The emotional part of our brain is vulnerable to making errors and cognitive biases.

It causes us to fall into akrasia or the state of acting against one’s better judgment. Take, for example, eating a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting. You know that feeling when you know you shouldn’t do it, but you do it anyway because you just can’t stop yourself? That’s what akrasia feels like.

See Also: Why Good People Make Bad Decisions 

So, how can we prevent ourselves from experiencing it?

There is a special field that focuses on addressing cognitive biases. One of its experts is Dr. Hal Arkes who revealed how he adapted the concept of debiasing in his own life to protect himself in this video.

Here’s how to make better decisions:

Key Strategy 1: Outside Perspective

Take an outside perspective of yourself. Imagine a friend who’s going through the same situation as you.

What would you advise your friend to do? What mistakes would your friend be likely to make? How can your friend avoid these mistakes?

Thinking of these things and asking yourself such questions can help you avoid making decisions that you’ll regret later.

Key Strategy 2: Consider Alternatives

Before settling on a decision, it’s a good idea if you can take the time to consider other possibilities.

Is there a different solution? Were you influenced in your decision? Do any people you know support alternative conclusions and why do they support them?

Considering alternative solutions and strategies is a great approach to avoid cognitive biases.

Key Strategy 3: Establish Decision Criteria in Advance

Have you ever walked into a bakery, smelled the delicious smell of bread and ended up getting much more food than you actually wanted? When was the last time you walked into a department store and bought stuff you later realized you didn’t need?

Establishing decision criteria in advance can help prevent any undesirable effects your decision can have. These are the criteria you can use to weigh your options and their results before you actually take action.

Thinking about your decision a hundred times as well as its implications can help you figure out if you are being rational or not.

Key Strategy 4: Account for Overconfidence

A lot of people are overconfident. Most of us think that we are more disciplined and accomplished than we actually are. We think we have more resources than we really do.

Just think about today’s drivers. At least  80 percent of them think that they are above average. In reality, however, a large number of drivers still make mistakes that end up in costly repairs and even injuries.

So before you take actions on your decisions, go back and rethink.  Make sure that you are not acting out of overconfidence and that you’re making a decision based on your capacity and capability.

See Also: How To Make Quick Decisions For Your Life 

These strategies aren’t really that hard to implement. They do, however, take some time to get used to. Once you become accustomed to these techniques, you’ll find it easier to make decisions that actually matter- without biases and regrets.

 

The post How To Make Better Decisions: 4 Smart Strategies You Can Use appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dtGh8D

Overthinking is very powerful. Although it’s based on fears, anxieties and guesses, it actually has the power to destroy you and your accomplishments. It can turn your life into a nightmare.

If you are overloaded with negative thoughts, here are the best ways to stop overthinking.

1. Don’t attempt to read people’s minds

We tend to guess what other people are thinking. Most of the time, it results in us making up scenarios in our minds, like how they don’t like us or how they don’t appreciate our skills.

In reality, however, every person is only concerned about himself. This means that the people around you aren’t really interested in what you think or feel. They are consumed by their own minds which means you should be, too.

People aren’t really thinking about your inadequacies; they are actually focused on their own limitations. Just as how you are the center of your universe, they are also focused on their own world.

When you’re interacting with people, you should avoid reading their body languages or translating their words that don’t really have any other meaning. Don’t assume that they are thinking negatively about you just because they aren’t acting the way you’re expecting them to be.

You’ll never be sure of what other people think about you until they tell you.

2. Free yourself from self-blaming and judging

The hard truth is that you can be your own enemy. If you think negatively about yourself, there’s a good chance you’ll be that type of person.

You’ll feel bad and you’ll keep blaming yourself for not being perfect. You’ll get lost in overanalyzing things and judging yourself.

One of the best ways to stop overthinking is to retrain your mind to think that no one is perfect. Nobody is born free from flaws and mistakes. Everyone has to go through trials and errors to become wise in life and skill.

Instead of beating yourself up for your inadequacies, it’s a much better idea if you can work on your self-esteem. Be more compassionate to yourself and find ways on how you can be a better person.

Each day is a chance to grow and by growing, you’ll become more focused on moving forward to achieve your dreams and aspirations.

See Also: 3 Things You Need To Stop Doing To Live The Life Of Your Dreams

3. Stay active and keep on moving

Overthinking can trap you. It can get you stuck on one idea, event, or mistake.

If that happens to you, stand up and take a short walk. When you are sitting down for hours, your mind tends to go around the same thoughts. Your mind will be too focused on the same idea that you will find it hard to let a new perspective in.

In contrast, when you stand up and walk, your mind move with your feet. Your brain becomes flooded with endorphins, positive thoughts, and new ideas.

4. Be patient

Instead of expecting things to happen right away, try to be patient and wait. When things don’t come to you as fast as you want, it makes you disappointed and even depressed.

Since you can’t do too much about it, it’s best if you can channel your attention and energy to something else. Making horrible scenarios why things don’t happen fast enough will only make things worse. You are only giving yourself an unnecessary scare and torment.

5. Be brave enough to ask

Use your interpersonal skills, such as influence and assertiveness, to ask and clarify those things that make you overthink or overanalyze. Asking question in a non-threatening matter can help you figure out the cause of your fears, anxieties, and frustrations.

6. Listen

Learn to listen without judging. Listening actively is not the same as following random advice or changing your beliefs, values, and ideas. Listening actively means adding new knowledge, enriching your view and building up your personal wisdom.

7. Accept yourself as you are

At the end of the day, you are the only person who can love you the way you want to be loved. This makes it essential that you accept yourself as you are.

Have compassion to what you are today but embrace the idea of what you can be in the future.

See Also: Self-Acceptance: The Key To True Happiness 

Remember:

Most of the time, overthinking can’t bring you positive results. If something has to happen, it will happen.

Your life belongs to you. Other people don’t really pay attention to your behavior or body language since they are too preoccupied with their own. Live and let go. It’s one of the best ways to stop overthinking.

 

The post 7 Ways to Stop Overthinking appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dtcNrw

Good credit is a privilege that comes with great responsibility. However, before lenders can give you this type of privilege, they need to first check on your reputation as a borrower.

This is where your credit scores and credit reports come into play. Having excellent credit will allow you to receive better benefits and perks with lower interest rates and higher limits.

But, what if you have low credit scores or some negative marks on your credit reports?

Lenders may still grant your credit request, but it can come with a lower limit and steeper fees. The idea is that the lower the risk you are to a lender, the better benefits you can get.

Here are four of the best ways you can use to start building great credit.

1. Understand & Lower Your Credit Utilization

This is where a lot of people get hung up. And since it accounts for 30% of your FICO score, it can severely impact their credit health.

Let’s say you have a credit card with a credit limit of $2,000. Instead of paying it off each month, you’ve been carrying a balance of around $1,200.

If we divide that $1,200 by $2,000, we get 60%. If this is your only credit card, this means that you’re already utilizing 60% of your total credit.

To start building better credit, you can try lowering your utilization to under 10%, if possible. For most people, however, keeping it under 30% is more realistic and manageable.

2. Increase Your Credit Card Limits

Raising your credit limits can have a profound effect on your credit since it will give you more freedom when it comes to its utilization. Increasing your card’s limit can be as easy as calling your credit card provider either through email or phone.

I recommend doing this once every six months. You can keep asking for as long as you want to keep increasing your limits or until your issuer won’t increase your limits any further.

If you have a lot of cards and you’re getting pinged with hard inquiries, then it might be a good idea to space out your requests to avoid having to answer to lots of inquiries in a short amount of time.

3. Become an Authorized User of a Credit Card

If you’re struggling to build better credit on your own, see if a family member or trusted friend can add you as an authorized user of his or her open credit card.  Although you’ll be able to use the account, you need to remember that the primary account holder will still be liable in case you don’t get to pay your debt.

To avoid conflicts, try to negotiate the payment details with the account owner first. If he has a poor standing in his account or if there are any delinquent credit card activities, these data can reflect in your credit reports, too.

See Also: 9 Valuable Credit Card Perks

4. Open a Credit Builder Loan

This last option is for those people who have bad credit but are looking for a quick option to start rebuilding their credit health. A typical credit builder loan can cost around $500.

If you get approved, your bank will deposit the money into a savings account. You won’t be able to access this account until you’ve fully paid it back. The bank, however, will report the said deposit to your credit card company to help build a better credit for you.

See Also: 6 Step To Improve Your Credit Score Now 

These four options are reliable and safe to use in building great credit immediately. Aside from these tips, it can also help if you can start understanding your credit and using it responsibly. Always pay your bills on time and keep your balances low. These ideas are very basic, but they  can help you build better credit faster.

 

The post 4 Ways to Start Building Great Credit appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dp5r90

A lot of people don’t like the idea of being tied up to a company. The thought of being stuck in a 9 to 5 job isn’t only stressful; it can also be really frustrating. This is one of the most common reasons why tons of people are now looking for the best freelance tips that can help them transition to a different career.

If you are seriously considering leaving your work to take on a freelancing job, here are some ideas to help you out.

1. Choose Your Platform

Each person has his own set of skills. If you are going to take a freelancing career, you have to know what platform can help you maximize your talents.

There are lots of platforms to choose from when you search online. You can turn to iWriter or Freelancer if you wish to write. If you have a very creative mind, you can work on digital art projects. There are also large platforms, such as Fiverr, that offer opportunities for a wide range of skills.

2. Do Your Research

To be successful, you need to know what will work best for your career. The idea is to understand your industry and research the methods that will make you succeed.

One good trick is to look at the successful freelancers in your field. Study how they get their work done and how they market themselves.

Do they have their own website? Are they making use of a portfolio?

There are actually tons of choices when it comes to methods. The right one, however, will depend on your preference and capabilities.

Writers and artists, for example, need a good portfolio that will showcase their creativity. Using DeviantArt or starting your own blog can help you expose and showcase your work. If you prefer to work with video and audio projects, you can try YouTube or Soundcloud.

Every industry is different. Doing your research is vital so that you won’t have to waste your time, money and effort in a platform and method that will not work for you.

See Also: 10 Productivity Musts for Freelancers

3. Understand your Audience

Unless you want to market yourself as a Jack of All Trades, Master of None, you need to know your target audience. They are going to be a major part of your success.

For example, if you offer abstract artwork, then trying to sell it to people who don’t appreciate such form of art may not work. In case your passion is in creating music for infomercials, then you’ll probably have a hard time advertising it to TV show and movie producers.

If you’re not yet sure about what type of audience you should target, it’s best if you can do your homework and study your field first. Researching for their demographics and interest can help you get a better shot at success.

4. Prepare for Problems

Prepare for any potential issues. Without proper planning and preparation, you’ll likely struggle with your career.

One good way to prepare yourself is to create a list of the most common issues freelancers in your field face. After creating your list, try to think of possible solutions to these issues. Make sure that they are easy to implement and are effective.

For you to succeed, you need to know your niche like the back of your hand. You should know its strengths and weaknesses as well as its ups and downs.

5. Know Your Advantages

With so many people to compete with, you need to know what your strengths are.

What do you offer that others do not? What makes you stand out?

If you are just starting out, you need to give people a good reason why they should pick you. This can be a bit hard at this stage since you don’t have the portfolio or experience to back your skills yet. However, once you’ve built a good reputation, you will no longer find it hard to convince people to choose you over other freelancers.

See Also: 7 Convincing Reasons for Working as a Freelancer 

When you choose to become a freelancer, you should aim to be more personable. Since your most powerful asset is yourself and your skills, you need to know how you can strengthen them so that you can make the most out of your new career. By following these freelance tips, you’ll surely be on your way to the top.

About the Author:

My name is Frank Lavine. Writer for PersonalityDevelopmentMastery.com, the site where people are encouraged to live actively and take charge of their lives.

 

The post 5 Freelancing Tips That Will Make you Successful appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2cN4btw