Phaoloos last blog post..Two Simple Ways To Keep Your Inbox From Junk Mails

They apply externally also I think, i.e. for *getting* the right decision as well as making the right decision. For example, there are numerous times when, as an Architect dealing with a Structural Engineer, I get “no” answers back and need to rethink my question so both myself and the Engineer actually get to the bottom of what is really needed!

Thanks Patrick and Mary.

Puerhans last blog post..…to be a ‘nothingist’

@Hersh & @Chad – great stories and examples. One of the things about doing any of the nine things I outlined is they will also help remove doubt about your decision, because you’ve actually considered as much as you can and then said “yep this is it, this is the right decision to make”

Cheers
Patrick

It used to really frustrate me, how many times I would make the same bad decisions over and over again. It was a problem I had to address and work on.

I learned to base decisions on personal principles. I also look at the effect of each decision from a price point of view – what will this decision cost me or benefit me and in what ways?

I used to run a business with someone that would get an idea, decide on it, and implement it right away. This led to many needless problems for the business. After a while, when he would come to my office with a quick decision on something, I would ask him to go outside, walk around the block thinking about it, and see if anything changed. About 75% of the time, the decision was completely different when he came back.

Sometimes the frustration of not being able to decide forces us to move too quickly, if we step away for a short time, we may get a better perspective and decide more wisely.

Chad Prigmores last blog post..Stop Racing and Start Living

What I find particularly fascinating is that we make decisions – without actually noticing that we’ve done so.

I wonder whether we can become aware of the decision-making moment through noticing a subtle change in the body? (You can see I’m deeply immersed in the Virtual Zen Retreat on Awareness that’s happening at the moment!)

@CathD – You are indeed correct (and great personal example BTW).
That’s why I say in the last paragraph that you shouldn’t follow all of these from top to bottom or even all of them. Some times it’s enough like Glen has done, and just pick a favorite. Choosing breakfast cereal is not a test

I would like to refine your point though about worry what other people will think:

You should care about what people think, if they are people that care about you. And if they do care about you, then some of these 9 steps will help you explain your decision to them in a way they will understand.

Cheers
Patrick

Adrilias last blog post..President Obama’s Call to Service: Setting us up for Success

Think of it as a test.”Write down why you made your decision and follow this by thinking: “This is an exam. I’m handing this in, and I won’t get another chance to change it. Others will see it and grade my logic”. Doing this makes you more likely to examine the “why” of what you’re doing and weed out poorly made plans.”

I get the logic that it helps you think through your decision by adding social pressure, although I’ve found that social pressure and the belief that there are “right” and “wrong” decisions that we’ll be judged on and worrying about what other people will think tends to take us into a stress response, where we make decisions based on fear of what other people think, instead of our authentic desires.

I used to think everything was a test I’d get graded on and that there were clear right and wrong answers. These days, I’ve experimented with holding the idea that perhaps there are no “right” or “wrong” decisions – perhaps I can have happiness and a rich life regardless of the decision I make. I’ve found this a much more liberating place to make decisions from and I’m enjoying the results of the decisions I’ve made (but then, I’m sure I’d be enjoying the results of the other decisions I didn’t make!)

CathDs last blog post..How to Reduce Your Stress by Challenging Yourself