Everyone wants to make wise choices, that's pretty clear cut. No one wakes up in the morning saying "I think I'll make some dumb choices today". But many times making wise choices isn't so simple. And there could be instances where, before you know it you are taken so quickly by circumstances that you end up suffering for poor choices. And what's really profound is that some choices will affect you significantly for years, sometimes for your whole life! Some choices will affect your children, and will have a lingering impact even after you die. Therefore it is immensely important to make wise choices. This post is the first in a series where I will share time-tested principles that, when put into practice will surely help you to make wise choices.
First principle - Be At Peace. Don't rush into a decision. Plan and Respond.
Yes, I want to highlight this point before even getting into the how's of decision making. We'll talk about making Pros and Cons and Weighted Scoring and other techniques later on. What's the use of these methods if you've gone headlong into a course of action straightaway? So firstly - Be at peace. No hurries. Don't react on impulse. Give the whole situation a thought, then respond in a purposeful manner.
Photos from Urdaneta Park in Makati, Philippines. Taking a stroll to appreciate the scenery can take your mind off a difficult situation where you might be too close and have a constrained view, to let you see the bigger picture.
Sometimes external pressures will seem to make you act or react in a certain way. People make you angry. Someone slanders you in the office or assaults your integrity. A close relationship disappoints you or you feel betrayed. Or maybe an extremely tempting business deal or investment presents itself. Or there's a big sale on an attractive item. Whatever it is, realize that no one can make you do anything. You still have to do the action on your own. You must recognize that it is still and always your decision to react or respond in the manner you choose.
So how do you put this into practice - to be at peace, plan and respond? One of the best things to do when facing a major decision is to DELAY the decision. Put some distance between you and the decision and the environment prompting the decision for a time. Delaying your response will prevent you from reacting on impulse, and enable you to respond with deliberateness.
Many times there are parks and gardens near you, you just need to find them. Walking there to put distance between you and the situation can help you to make a determined delay, and therefore respond thoughtfully instead of just reacting on impulse.
I'm not talking about procrastination or escapism. This is a planned retreat into your inner thoughts, to process the situation within a reasonable time, then returning and confirming your decision and acting on it.
So the first thing to do is just - get away! Generally this will immediately bring relief from the external pressures prompting a decision. Take a walk in a park. In many areas, there is actually a park or a nice garden within a short walk from you. Just taking this stroll can clear up your mind, and let you see the bigger picture.
Remember that you must never make major decisions when you are emotional - when you are very angry, or very sad or lonely, or even when you are very happy or excited! Most people will admit that they have made poor decisions during those times, decisions they wouldn't have made if they had not been too emotional, if they had been "in their right mind". So don't go there!
Notice that when buying large ticket items, a common sales strategy is to make you feel good, or feel bad, so you are more inclined to act. Then you're pressured that the great deal they are giving you is only available on that day, and afterwards you'll have to pay a higher price. It's part of coercing you to "act now". Use the same principle of not reacting - to not buying on impulse, and instead - be at peace, plan and decide. Many times you'll find that you don't need that item after all, or that you don't need the features that make the item more expensive. Or that there is actually something that is more important than that purchase for now, something you really need or something you want more. By delaying your purchase and denying your own impulse to buy, you've actually rewarded yourself with the opportunity to buy smarter and to get what you really want.
On business deals - remember the principle that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Which means, if something doesn't sound totally right, take the time to really check it out. And even if everything sounds perfectly good, that is also often a sign that not everything is good! So delaying a response to perform your personal "due diligence" investigations doesn't mean you'll be excluded from participating in or capturing a spectacular deal. It more often than not means you are saving yourself from a potentially disastrous investment!
Why do walks in parks and trees and gardens bring peace and serenity? Perhaps they're simply beautiful, a work of art in nature, sculpted by gardeners and landscapers, drawing us away from a limited view of our problems. Perhaps they remind us of the slow passing of time, that all is well after all, that life is more than just me, myself and I, or the rush to accumulate things, or the endless pursuit of whatever.
Here are two Bible verses that talk about trees in a good way:
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15 NIV)
So - the first step to making wise decisions? Be at peace, plan and respond. Don't simply react, or rush into major decisions.
More to come in future blog posts, but that's all for now. Please share this with a friend who needs this message. And add a comment if this has helped you.
Take care.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
First principle - Be At Peace. Don't rush into a decision. Plan and Respond.
Yes, I want to highlight this point before even getting into the how's of decision making. We'll talk about making Pros and Cons and Weighted Scoring and other techniques later on. What's the use of these methods if you've gone headlong into a course of action straightaway? So firstly - Be at peace. No hurries. Don't react on impulse. Give the whole situation a thought, then respond in a purposeful manner.
Photos from Urdaneta Park in Makati, Philippines. Taking a stroll to appreciate the scenery can take your mind off a difficult situation where you might be too close and have a constrained view, to let you see the bigger picture.
Sometimes external pressures will seem to make you act or react in a certain way. People make you angry. Someone slanders you in the office or assaults your integrity. A close relationship disappoints you or you feel betrayed. Or maybe an extremely tempting business deal or investment presents itself. Or there's a big sale on an attractive item. Whatever it is, realize that no one can make you do anything. You still have to do the action on your own. You must recognize that it is still and always your decision to react or respond in the manner you choose.
So how do you put this into practice - to be at peace, plan and respond? One of the best things to do when facing a major decision is to DELAY the decision. Put some distance between you and the decision and the environment prompting the decision for a time. Delaying your response will prevent you from reacting on impulse, and enable you to respond with deliberateness.
Many times there are parks and gardens near you, you just need to find them. Walking there to put distance between you and the situation can help you to make a determined delay, and therefore respond thoughtfully instead of just reacting on impulse.
I'm not talking about procrastination or escapism. This is a planned retreat into your inner thoughts, to process the situation within a reasonable time, then returning and confirming your decision and acting on it.
So the first thing to do is just - get away! Generally this will immediately bring relief from the external pressures prompting a decision. Take a walk in a park. In many areas, there is actually a park or a nice garden within a short walk from you. Just taking this stroll can clear up your mind, and let you see the bigger picture.
Remember that you must never make major decisions when you are emotional - when you are very angry, or very sad or lonely, or even when you are very happy or excited! Most people will admit that they have made poor decisions during those times, decisions they wouldn't have made if they had not been too emotional, if they had been "in their right mind". So don't go there!
Notice that when buying large ticket items, a common sales strategy is to make you feel good, or feel bad, so you are more inclined to act. Then you're pressured that the great deal they are giving you is only available on that day, and afterwards you'll have to pay a higher price. It's part of coercing you to "act now". Use the same principle of not reacting - to not buying on impulse, and instead - be at peace, plan and decide. Many times you'll find that you don't need that item after all, or that you don't need the features that make the item more expensive. Or that there is actually something that is more important than that purchase for now, something you really need or something you want more. By delaying your purchase and denying your own impulse to buy, you've actually rewarded yourself with the opportunity to buy smarter and to get what you really want.
On business deals - remember the principle that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Which means, if something doesn't sound totally right, take the time to really check it out. And even if everything sounds perfectly good, that is also often a sign that not everything is good! So delaying a response to perform your personal "due diligence" investigations doesn't mean you'll be excluded from participating in or capturing a spectacular deal. It more often than not means you are saving yourself from a potentially disastrous investment!
Why do walks in parks and trees and gardens bring peace and serenity? Perhaps they're simply beautiful, a work of art in nature, sculpted by gardeners and landscapers, drawing us away from a limited view of our problems. Perhaps they remind us of the slow passing of time, that all is well after all, that life is more than just me, myself and I, or the rush to accumulate things, or the endless pursuit of whatever.
Here are two Bible verses that talk about trees in a good way:
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15 NIV)
So - the first step to making wise decisions? Be at peace, plan and respond. Don't simply react, or rush into major decisions.
More to come in future blog posts, but that's all for now. Please share this with a friend who needs this message. And add a comment if this has helped you.
Take care.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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