How to Make a Decision

I have a long history of really, really bad decisions being made. Often I look back and wonder, when I wanted to do that, what on earth was I thinking about? But it seems like I'm not the only one with too many bad options when I look around. The whole thing is very strange to me, because you are naturally supposed to make good choices for some reason. If you are a normal person with no damage to the brain, you should be able to understand common sense. But let's be frank, common sense isn't always so prevalent. It's only after you make a decision that you know that you've screwed up. For different reasons, you can do something stupid, even your mood can influence your decision. Substantially, practically. We're never taught how to make better choices, not at school or college, nor do most of our parents ever teach us that, and yet we're expected to make great choices all the time. And the unfortunate thing about it is that when you are still a little adolescent, you are supposed to make some of the most important decisions of your life. I'm certainly not the most qualified person to talk about how to make better choices, but I learned a few things after contemplating my poor decisions that really helped me make better choices later on. Keep in mind that, essentially, your life is the product of the choices you have made, so learning more about it is very important. You may not know that, but more energy is used by your brain than any other organ in your body. Primarily because the work which is thought does the most important thing. So what normally happens is that most people every day make a lot of needless choices and waste most of their brain resources, and by the time you have to make an important decision, Literally, the brain won't have enough resources to adequately process any choice to make the right decision. Your brain will actually try to select the simplest alternative, which is sometimes not the best. And that's why common sense is not always prevalent. If you had to think about it in the morning when you just wake up, you would probably have made a totally different decision because your brain would be fully capable of it. You can't instantly get rid of daily decisions, of course, but what you can do is automate them like I do. I basically just have a few clothes in my closet that I usually wear, instead of choosing what to wear each time. Even if it's a special event, I restrict myself to only a few options. I eat all the time in a couple of places and choose from a narrow list of choices I have made up. I have a clear schedule instead of wondering every time whether I should work now or take a break, so it makes the whole process much simpler, quicker and more efficient. So that my brain resources can be reserved for even more important decisions. And I never make a big decision late in the evening because I know that most of my brain resources have already been exhausted and the chances are that I will mess up are high. So, I'm already postponing it until the next morning. Remember, the less choices you make, the more decisions you make about efficiency. And be careful when bringing others with you. People love to speak and share their thoughts, but your views are also not necessarily in your best interest. I'm not suggesting that the guy who doesn't listen to anyone should be the greedy one, but be somewhere in the middle because your friend who may try to support you might not be aware of anything that will influence your decision. And do not let your decision be ruined by your preconceptions. I mean, we all have some form of opinions about it all, and they don't typically represent reality, so try to offer a new look to any choice. That'll make you less prejudiced. **C A U T I O N** The voice of caution must be somewhere around the table in any decision. She wears dowdy clothing and talks softly. In an age of bravado and bombast, it undoubtedly lacks glamour. It's quick to feel we still have to leap, because life has to be about giving the new one a go. Maybe it's not. Let's note, Caution clears its throat to tell us that most new companies are struggling, most systems are ending in failure, and most partnerships are merely rehashing the current unsatisfactory themes. In addition, there is a large amount to be lost and there are many individuals around us who can get really hurt by our goals. The devil that one knows might have the edge over the many devils that one may not yet have. Caution does not look down on the principle of compromise, it accepts that there are literally no suitable solutions for the flawed beings we ultimately are, at times. Caution does not always have the strength to revolt against reality. We've learned how to obey the rules from an early age, wait in line, and do the dutiful, anticipated stuff. We could be good boys and girls, and it took us to the position we are today. In the working world, there would have been no other way to learn how to spell, drive a car or take up a job. But now, from the other direction, there can be a subtle danger; the risk of becoming too loyal for too long to conventions that were thought up without our personal desires and hopes in mind. At times, we need to relearn the art of bravery actively, to note that the happiest lives still had turning points where people did a slightly unexpected and strange thing. Caution is often merely weakness and cowardice bundled in the cloth of self-deception. Courage and caution, without any presumption of victory on either side, must fight this one out. By definition, any tough decision that we have to make will not always be ideal. But we have a much better chance than average of going for a good enough option with such thought behind us. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!