Decision Making 101
Personal and business experiences provide many opportunities throughout our lives to evaluate where our decisions have taken us and whether we are satisfied with the progress made toward our defined goals.
Certain decisions require that a plan be put into action in order to achieve specific results.
I do not believe that anyone makes a decision because they think it is wrong, as they are based on the best choices available at the time.
The occasion will arise when we know whether a decision we made was correct for the circumstance. Minor or major adjustments may need to be made toward achieving the goal we originally established. Either situation will require new choices. Hopefully by then our decision making skills are more refined.
If and when we find ourselves having to make a decision, creating a plan to accompany the decision makes the goal more attainable.
The example that comes to mind involves a period of time when I organized and lead an addiction recovery program. The teaching was applicable to every circumstance of addiction - from caffeine to bad habits to substance abuse. One thing I learned from the program is that everyone deals with some type of addiction, but you can label it any way you prefer.
I was fortunate to witness many people obtain freedom from substance abuse with one principle. In order to successfully make any effective change in our lives - regardless of circumstances - we must make a decision, have a plan and must adhere to the plan.
With addiction the decision is easy, i.e., "I am going to quit drinking coffee." It would appear that the plan is to just avoid coffee. Period. But the serious coffee drinker will be enticed as continuously as they brewed a fresh pot of coffee for possibly the last 10 years.
So, the most critical focus of the plan must centralize around what actions are going to be taken when confronted with temptation. In other words, the plan must have provisions to insure that it will be adhered to. Using the coffee example, depending on the amount of caffeine that was being ingested, the physical effects of caffeine withdrawal can last between one and two weeks. The psychological withdrawal can take twice as long because it involves subconscious actions and triggers.
One key to successfully making a lifestyle change such as this is to not remove a substance or thing (in this case coffee) without replacing it with something else (in this case water, which is beneficial to the body).
No matter the goal, when making decisions to achieve a successful result, incorporating a detailed plan that addresses issues that can cause the plan to go awry will substantially increase the chances that you will not only see your goal manifest, but you just may be rewarded by surpassing the initial objective.
Do you have any situations in your life that you would like to change? Make a decision and have a plan. And make sure the plan provides how to adhere to it.
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I am a person on constant change. It's the best thing I have going for me here at WA, as I'm not a fast learner, and have a poor mans education. But I am not afraid of change! My biggest downfall in the past was getting side tracked. I would get an email offer to make money and spend time looking at it. Now if I have created a habit of just simply deleating it. I am determined to succeed here at WA. The only situation that I wish would change for me is the hours I'm working at my day job.
It is interesting to note that, of all of the people who are the most successful in their industry, they ALL reach the decisions they make quickly, plan and rarely make changes.
This indicates they have all of the various decisions in mind, along with the possible problems.
This shows that, when decisions need to be made, research, research and research some more, but then, STOP and make the decision that accounts for all of the possibilities.
I agree, but if an initial decision is successful 100% at first attempt, that would reflect a certain level of experience. It also infers we are talking business strategy. But what about the person who has never had a job with visions of grandeur? Or the drug addict who keeps telling himself he can quit any time he wants to? I have children, nieces and nephews who fit the subjects about which my blog was written.
Thanks for commenting!!!
If you can innately assign probabilities of success and failure to your decisions Carole it will help zero in on a desired outcome!
Yes, very much so. But I'm not sure the inexperienced will think it through that far.
Thanks for commenting!!
This is great information for life's many pit falls. The problem is that we humans are creatures of habit. Most of us don't want to change unless the problem is going to cause imminent death. lol or an intervention like an epiphany. Ours in success and well being.
Exactly. But after 50 or 60 years I think people just want a change - and by then it cant even be classified as a habit anymore. LOL!
We live a life filled with decisions. It is only the dead who can't decide. These decisions should lead us to the better one to make life easier, more enjoyable, and meaningful.
You posed a challenge.
You get it!! Just trying to show it can't be done "on the fly." It has to be thought through or the easier, more enjoyable and meaningful become a lot further away.
Thanks for commenting!
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My biggest challenge is sticking to something, not losing interest and jumping to something else that is exciting and new.
WA is in many ways a learning experience for me. Thank you for the encouragement.