Jun 26 (edited) in General discussion
The Power of Decision Making
“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
The most valuable lesson I have learned this year is that whatever we focus our energy on, grows. The complimentary lesson deriving from that is the fact that we must know where we are heading in order to move forward.
However, that is, to me, one of the hardest challenges in life. How do I know exactly what I want? And how can I be sure that that option will create the optimal outcome for my future?
I really like how Jordan Peterson frames it. He says that the fewer the options, the easier it is to compare and pick the “right one”. Nevertheless, if you have limitless other options, the chance that you select the ideal one is close to zero. In that case, utilize your experience or knowledge, go with a choice that seems relatively sensible and reasonable, and don’t look back at what you could have had instead.
The best analogy I have found for this is the one of a rowing boat in the middle of a lake. Say you got carried with the tide and are now adrift without a shore in sight. How do you make your way back? How will you optimally utilize your energy to find a way out? Will you paddle in all directions until you exhaust yourself? Or will you be strategic and use your surroundings to get back on land?
Maybe you decide to go with the current to get there faster. Maybe you utilize the position of the sun and the stars in an attempt to get back to where you started. Maybe you prefer catching fish to ensure your primary needs are fulfilled. Maybe you try yelling and screaming and hope that somebody comes to your rescue. Maybe you just randomly pick a direction and trust that your physical condition will allow you to row until you get back to shore.
The one thing that you should avoid is doing all of the above simultaneously. You could try a few strategies and quickly analyze which one is the most viable before you stick with that one. In that instance, making a decision could be a matter of life and death. Inversely, the absence of a decision would far more likely be fatal.
And if worse comes to worst, at least you will have taken your destiny into your own hands. Agency is what moves us through life. It is also the only way to make us masters of our own fate.
Ah yes… and while you are rowing, don’t forget to appreciate the view along the way.
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The Power of Decision Making
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