Losing does not always have to be the first step to winning

Win or loss — some people call it a matter of luck. While others call it a result of sincere efforts. For me it is all about taking decisions. The right decision at the right time is the only difference between win and loss.

You can find ample words of wisdom on how the first step to create a winning story is to start with a loss. I believe it does not always have to be that way. To me this creates a negative psychology. Thinking about loss leaves you in a state of mind where you don’t push yourself to the limit. Somewhere deep down in your mind you believe that failing once or twice is bound to happen. Because that’s what happened with everyone else.

That’s why I always say — you don’t always have to lose before you start winning.

But, why? Why can’t we focus on making the right decisions and start winning in the first place? Why do we always need to learn from failures? Why is that everyone says winning comes only after you have faced your fair share of losses?

It’s because we don’t don’t grow up in an environment where we no one encourages us to take decisions. It’s not until we enter the corporate world or job-life that we realize the value of decision making.

In this post I am going to share some key points that will help you to start taking the right decisions in life -

An informed decision

Life would have been so easy if we only had to take decisions like whether I should eat eggs in breakfast or cereal? Or, which movie should I watch on Netflix The Avengers or La La Land. But, in practical life that’s not possible. As a leader or a budding entrepreneur or even a manager, life is full of risky decisions. A slight miscalculation in the decision and you may end up crushing your dreams before even taking the first step. Rather than doing this, why not take an informed decision the first place?

As they say, a little effort now is better than any later. Get your numbers correct and verified before you take the decision. On the outset it might look a little time consuming, but in the longer run it can prove to be a lifesaver. So rather than taking the wrong decision quickly, take an informed decision even if takes a little more time.

Stick to logic

I’m amazed on one side we are moving toward emotional intelligence. But, on the other side we are lying so behind with our emotional intelligence. We still prefer intuition to our logic. I’ve seen people taking decisions based on what their heart says. And to me that’s completely fine as long as they are ready to bear the consequences. But, I an a firm believer in sticking to the logic. After all, you can never defy logic.

A major reason why people take such decisions is the hormonal broadway that runs in their body. Which we term as emotions. Feeling of frustration, anxiety, love, affection and even happiness. All these can sometimes make us take a decision that defies our logical sense.

This is why I emphasize on leaving your emotional baggage aside whenever you have to take a decision. Part way with your emotional paradigm. And taking the right decision will become lot easier than it was ever before.

What’s at stake?

My personal favorite — analyzing what’s at stake! I love to crunch numbers. Trust me, you will be able to take the decision without breaking a sweat when you know what’s at stake. Because this way you will have an idea about the consequences in case the decision does not work. And, in case it does how much you will benefit.

By doing this simple analysis, you will be able to make the risk factor negligible. A little pro tip here — when analyzing the consequences of your decision try to imagine the best and the worst cases. That way you will get to know about the extremes, and it will paint an even clearer picture of the results.

Get second opinion

He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it. — Erica Jong

There is no harm in asking for advice, especially when it comes to taking business decisions. Even in the book Winning Decisions, the author has highlighted learning from the past decisions of others as an important point.

You might think that the decision you are about to take is exclusive to you. And, you might be true to some extent. But, chances are that someone else might have been in such a scenario before. And they might have something to share with you.

So, don’t be afraid to ask for an advice. You will be amazed to find how many people have already been through similar, if not the same, situations.

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Vartika Kashyap is a seasoned marketing professional who is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. She’s been featured among LinkedIn’s Top Voices for the year 2016. She currently runs the marketing team at ProofHub — a project management software for teams of all sizes. Connect with Vartika on LinkedIn, Medium and Twitter.

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Originally published on LinkedIn.