Depends on the decision being made. In highly important matters when given the time I will write out a detailed list possible courses of action, then rate them by their pros and cons, then I will evaluate the first second and third order effect of my decision to analyse possible outcomes and plan accordingly. In other situations I may defer to judgement of others in a better position to make the descision, in trivial matters in order to save time i may simply flip a coin (then evaluate my reaction to the coin flip and decide on impulse). And in times where decisions must be made quickly I will rely on my first gut reaction. However gut reactions are only as good as the templates you provide it. By constantly seeking to understand the patterns around you (especially while under stressful conditions ie when adrenaline and/or tired), your intuition also becomes sharper, humans are after all, pattern recognition machines. For this reason it's also important to surround yourself with people of high quality and intellect, because you will invariably inherent some of thier patterns also.