5 Expert Ways to Make Great Decisions

From Sumarai to SEAL, what principles you need to apply to your decisions

Time.com recently published an article titled “The #1 Secret Astronauts, Samurai, Navy SEALs, and Psychopaths Can Teach You About Good Decision Making” (click here, it’s a fun full read).

We’re going to Cliff’s Notes it for you: arousal control allows you to make good decisions. Here’s how you can control your response to situations that require a decision:

Astronauts: Familiarity breeds confidence. Training is in place to prevent panic. Trust the system.

Samurai: Consider the worst-case scenario. For samurai, this means considering death as a real possibility. For you, this could mean failure or rejection.

Navy SEALs: Control your breathing. According to the article, research shows meditation breathing can make you courageous, increase attention span, and boost happiness.

Psychopaths: Psychopaths are overly rational, but when empathy is added, rational thinking creates good decisions. 

The final key? Use the outside perspective: “What advice would I give my best friend in this situation?“

These five steps will help you in decision making—try implementing them and let us know in the comments if something works or doesn’t!

Image: Some rights reserved by jeffschwartz

Category: Style

Tags: