The Art Of Decision Making Don’t just stand there! Find out how to make effective decision making right here! Our modern world is constantly inundated with information. Between the constant stream of content on the internet, constant media, and a multitude of factory designed products, we are being stimulated all the time. We have an incessant stream of music and films, which I believe becomes a detriment to aspiring artists, as we have more of an inclination to consume entertainment than to create anything ourselves. We need to find our stillness, peace, and creative flow in spite of this influence of overconsumption. We need to find ways to live healthy and moderate lives, keeping our creativity rich, alive, and transformative. So, how do we make the right decisions among these infinite choices? I mean...let’s face it. We. Are. Stressed. Out. We’re all running around like chickens with our heads cut off, acting like we’re dying over nothing of consequence. The implication is that if we don’t go go go/do do do/consume consume consume, it’ll all be over. This is not conducive to living a good life and making healthy choices. So let’s all just chill out for a second - at least while we’re reading this article - and see how we can live a little more consciously. Changing our decision making involves taking stock of what we value and paring down our lives accordingly. Decisions Require Energy
Every decision we make requires energy. And we are making decisions the second that we get up in the morning. The choice to snooze or not to snooze already sets an intention for the day. From the smallest of decisions to the biggest, we are affecting our lives and its outcome. We are doing this every minute of our lives. One of the reasons why I’m so obsessed with automatizing and routinizing my life is because decisions require energy and I have a limited amount of energy for the day. If I don’t have to decide when to get up or what I’m going to do next, I am all freed up to make much more valuable decisions. I can think critically about the subject matter of my next song, my next novel, my next poem. I can use critical problem solving to decide how best to proceed with a client, how to best suit their needs, and to address any problems that come up with perfect clarity. This critical thinking allows me to make the real decisions that will drastically affect my work or my life. This automization of choices saves me a hell of a lot of time. Just Say No Learn when to say no and practice doing it if it's something you struggle with. You don’t have to go to every single event or function. You don’t have to take every job. You don’t have to do anything someone asks you to do (within reason.) Nobody else knows what you need and most people will take what they can get from you. You can’t really make the right decisions for yourself if you’re just being subject to everyone else’s decisions for you. Decide what things you will attend based on benefit.
Do not waste your time. This isn’t just limited to other people, however. Practice saying no to yourself. Monkey brain wants to stay in bed. Monkey brain wants to watch TV. Monkey brain wants to surf the web. Monkey brain wants to play video games... When you know you need to get some work done to get yourself in a better place, make the decision to write for an hour instead. Keep yourself accountable for your success. Value Your Time Truly value your life and the time allotted for it. Are your aspirations something you really want to gamble your time with? To value your time, you need to identify and prioritize important tasks and then make decisions based on what will be the most conducive to your health, happiness, and success. The Vetting Process When faced with a decision, put it through a vetting process. Ask yourself the following questions: Will this help me grow? Will this get me closer to my goal? How much time will this take up? Will this make me healthier? Will I learn something? Asking yourself these critical questions will lead to making the right decisions to propel you forward.
Meet Your Needs First, Then Your Wants Our needs are very few: proper diet, proper sleep, proper exercise, medical and mental health resources, a roof over our heads, an income, a social support system, a creative outlet, and moderate entertainment. We go a little heavy on the ‘moderate entertainment’ to the detriment of our own needs. This is because media and advertising push us so constantly to care about what they’re selling that we are conditioned to believe that these products will fulfill a need. At worst, these products are a poor coping strategy. At best, they are a want that you can fulfill after your actual needs are met. To take an active role in our lives is to ignore what we’re being conditioned to care about, look inward, and make the real decisions there. Just because something exists doesn’t mean we need it. Finally, make a choice. Yes, you should weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. But, you should not do this indefinitely until you die. Sorry to be melodramatic, but...it’s funnier that way. Consider all the factors that you can think of, put it through the vetting process, ruminate for a while, and then... for God’s sake… PULL THE TRIGGER. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting around forever for something to happen, not making any real decisions, and your life doesn’t flow. When you’re not flowing, you’re stagnating. Not good. Eventually, a decision needs to be made. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong decision. Just a good one, and everything that life will offer you afterward.