1. Write down each option to be considered, and make a list of pros and cons for each one. Find out which options have the most desirable pros and the most bearable cons and then make your choice based on what is best for you. It might help to have a few goals worked out for you life it the decisions involve changing lifestyle.

2. Get some experience, if possible, in terms of some of your options. If you're trying to figure out whether you want to join a circus or a freak show, do some job shadowing. Follow around the bearded lady and the Siamese twins and see if what they do seems like an ideal career. Try the circus too; see how well you can get across the tightrope, or if the lions seem friendly. Determine which experience is more motivating or beneficial.

3. Evaluate the possible outcomes and consequences of each alternative. If you want to buy an exotic pet with your work bonus, imagine what life will be like with each possible animal. A leopard would make a great pet and would be more awesome than any guard dog, but also remember it will probably destroy your couch and maybe even eat you and your neighbors. A whale would make a neat pet too, but good luck finding a bathtub big enough to hold one.

4. Listen to your gut. If some options just do not seem right, then don't consider them. Unless you have been indulging in substances, your intuition is usually right about letting you know if something seems amiss. If your gut tells you buying the latest technology device every week is not the best use of your money, think about other methods of satisfying your need to have the latest and greatest.

5. Research. If you don't have enough information on all your options to make an informed decision, do some research. If you're afraid of the water, but feel your life's dream is to be a fisherman, you might want to do a little more reading on what the job necessitates.

6. Narrow the options. Don't be afraid to trim down your options. Some choices are just plain not right for you as an individual, so rule them out. If you allow them to be considered, you might involuntarily convince yourself that one of the bad choices isn't so bad after all. This is because of that human quirk that makes us sometimes crave the forbidden. If you're a diabetic and you're trying to figure out what to do next weekend, ruling out the cupcake-eating contest at the local fair would be one of your first choices.

7. Don't overanalyze. Try not to over-think your decision. If you have to sit down for three hours and debate the merits of one type of coffee over another, you're overdoing things. Thinking too far into certain options might end in making a wrong choice, so look at the options but keep it simple if the decision is not a big one. If you are a procrastinator, don't wait till tomorrow to read the overcoming procrastination article.

8. Consider alternatives. Finally, consider a back-up plan if the decision is a major one, just in case your choice does have negative results. If you decide to sell your car because it is getting too expensive to run it, have some money stashed away for public transport or for contributing to the car pool. Better still, see if you can arrange a trial period without your car to see how you cope.