Decisions are the fabric of our daily life. We make thousands of decisions every single day, many of which are easy and completely innate, requiring little to no thought. But sometimes, even the smallest decision can change a life forever, and it’s that simple truth that instills subtle fear into the decision-making process.

The reality is that the decision-making process itself is not frightening. What is frightening, however, is the uncertainty surrounding the near or long-term outcomes produced from the decision. For example: is anyone actually afraid of flying in an airplane? No. People are afraid of dying in an airplane crash.

The decision-making process can be complicated, and the paradox of choice is real. Autonomy and freedom of choice are critical to our well-being, and choice is critical to freedom and autonomy. Therefore, we assume that more choice means better options and greater utility. But in practice, excessive choice can cause stasis and make you question every decision well before it’s ever made, leading to decision-making apathy, stress, and ongoing anxiety.

While I’ll always advocate for the value in “winging it” and in using data when it comes to taking action, it’s also important to develop a personalized framework for evaluating complex decisions and their potential ramifications. As such, where does one begin when facing an important decision and when presented with a variety of choices?

Unfortunately, a universal decision-making process doesn’t exist. Many different frameworks have proven adequate at creating well-reasoned decisions. What’s often forgotten is the fact that difficult decisions require both decision-making AND problem-solving skills. To solve any problem, the first step is to understand the problem at its very core. Once the cause-effect relationship of a problem is identified, the most appropriate decision-making framework can be applied to draw a conclusion.

So, take your pick: Decision Matrix Analysis, Decision Tree Analysis, Paired Comparison Analysis, and The Analytic Hierarchy Process are among the common and road-tested frameworks for effective decision-making. Jeff Bezos used a Regret-Minimization decision-making framework when he chose to quit a high-paying Wall Street job in order to launch Amazon. Warren Buffett leans on his ‘Circle of Competence’ framework when evaluating important investment decisions. And yes, I’d say both men know what they’re doing.

…Uh oh, I realize what I’ve just done. I’ve introduced too many decision-making framework options in an attempt to help simplify the decision-making process! A classic chicken or the egg dilemma.

The truth is, thanks to free will, I can’t make decisions for anyone other than myself. I can’t definitively dictate which framework(s) will work best for each person or situation. For basic decisions, I prefer a simple combination of pro/con analysis and expected value analysis, as long as I can generate rational assumptions for the required inputs. For more complex and multi-party decisions, I sometimes enjoy introducing a little Game Theory, which can be both tactful and shamefully gratifying.

But what works for me might not work for everyone, or even anyone, else. The value of a framework isn’t to assure the correct answer, but rather to provide a starting point and to help avoid fatal flaws that can occur in an unstructured decision-making process. Flaws such as satisficing or self-censoring, and biases such as confirmation, anchoring, and framing are all common culprits of a poor decision-making process that can create unintended results.

Yet, no framework is without flaw. However, what will always help to improve a decision-making process is the ability to learn through experience. Making a bad decision in life is inevitable, but learning from mistakes is what drives personal growth. Successful people make both good decisions and bad decisions, but also take responsibility for the results of each decision and reflect to progressively improve their decision-making criteria and framework.

Choose a framework to be your guide, but recognize that only you are the decision-making force in your life.

Because if all else fails, trust your gut.