The sum of your choices.

The fundamental decisions most young persons will make are the same ones faced by their parents and their parents’ parents. In a world less forgiving of mistakes, the ability to make smart decisions is a particularly vital skill to master. Getting it wrong can cost a bundle.

Decisions matter.

Decisions are an essential part of our life—everything we do requires a decision of some kind. Most are so trivial that the process operates in automatic. But some decisions you make will affect not only your own life, but the lives of your friends, your family, and your community.

Getting the biggies right.

Most young persons will face a number of significant life-choices. Should I go to college? What kind of career is right for me? Am I ready to get married? Should we have a baby? Where do I want to live? How do I participate in the American Dream? When you think about it, how you respond to these essential questions largely defines who you are. The consequences of these controllable decisions can, and often do, represent turning points in their life. They are too important to leave to chance.

People of our generation have so many more factors and choices to consider in answering these questions than any previous generation—even our parents’. Just compare the choices available to us for careers, spending money, and traveling with those available to people our age thirty years ago. So while we’re asking the same questions as say, the ancient Egyptians, our list of potential answers is much, much longer. (Comment at a workshop on decision making.)

Determining which choices are wise and which are foolish or imprudent is not always clear (see: It’s our choices, Harry). Even when you can distinguish between a sensible and a not-so-sensible choice, you don’t always have the discipline to follow your heads. The real problem isn’t whether you can handle complex judgments—you can. It’s choosing not to exert the necessary mental until you are forced to do so. Um, sound familiar?

NeXter, know thyself.

Making a good decision and avoiding a bad one is a skill that can be learned and developed. But getting it right involves more than simply identifying the facts. Being aware of the underlying psychological, social, and emotional components that influence decision making—whether they are your own decisions or the decisions of others—can provide a greater sense of control over the process and outcomes. Not to mention reduced anxiety.

Two mental shortcomings influence how we think about and process information: ignorance (lack of knowledge) and ineptitude (lack of care). These flaws shape how we see the world and affect our attitudes, beliefs, and judgment. We fail to ask the questions necessary to think our way through, analyze, and reason our way to an important decision. In hindsight, our memory for events that occurred at the time of the decision is distorted so that the actual outcome seems to have been a “foregone conclusion.” Thus, it may be difficult to learn from our mistakes.

The global economy is increasingly putting a premium on sound judgment and strong decision-making skills. To succeed, learn to develop the art of the long-view so you can be suitably prepared when an important decision is required. Today is already tomorrow, which was shaped by your decisions of yesterday. Life is the sum of your choices!