When we’re faced with a tough decision we can benefit from creating space between ourselves and the circumstances. We gain new perspectives the further we can step back from it which will result in making a better decision.

In the book Chatter, Ethan Kross provides 3 methods for creating distance to make wise decisions:

Distanced-self talk 

This is speaking about yourself and the situation in the second or third person. Strange as it may seem, there are psychological benefits to simply re-framing the situation in new language. 

Discussing your situation from the third person puts distance between the ‘you’ experiencing it and the ‘you’ thinking about experiencing it. 

A great example of this is LeBron James talking in a press conference about his decision to leave Cleaveland for Miami: “I didn’t want to make an emotional decision. I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James and what would make him happy.”

Temporal distancing 

This is about putting time between our current situation and how we evaluate it. We can create distance from a decision or situation by imagining ourselves in the future looking back on the decision. 

Place yourself in the future and look back at the decision. What is the outcome that your future self will thank you for?

Journalling 

Simply getting our thoughts onto paper creates distance from our current emotions and feelings. If we’re stuck in our heads and the wheels just keep spinning, we can write down our thoughts to be able to view them from a new perspective. 

Being able to step back and gain new perspectives will lead to making good decisions. Learning to make good decisions quickly is a superpower