EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING AND CLEAR-THINKING TECHNIQUES

I've been trying to understand the mindset of executioners and I've found out that one of the attributes of a ruthless executioner is clear thinking and clarity of mind.

When you have clarity about a particular task, it's very easy to get the task done, people with neat environments achieve more than those who have a dirty and noisy environment.

The difference between success and failure most times is clear thinking, we are a decision away from a challenge or problem happening in our lives.

Sometimes we don't need to be smarter than others to outperform them, we just need to be in the right position, the right position of mind, the right position of thought pattern, right information.

Anyone looks like a genius when they are in the right position.

Two people can go for an examination, one is unable to answer many questions, and the other answers quickly and accurately.

It is the position of both of them that distinguishes them, it's not the position when the paper is in front of them but the position of their mind before they enter the exam hall, how prepared were they? How settled was their mind? How familiar are they with the questions asked?

So the limitations of clear thinking can be summarised into four acronyms. I.S.E.E

Which I'd love to call I see, funny right?

Well, one of the obstructions of clear thinking is the Is Inertia. tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged. well, the law of inertia states that every object will remain in its state of rest or unchanging motion unless acted upon by an external force.

People don't want to think when they are in their comfort zone, this isn't about the physical location but mental state.

The brain is wired to have shortcut waves that enable us to survive, for instance, when you want to have a decent meal, your brain quickly suggests somewhere within your pay subconsciously because it's the way the brain was designed to make us survive, you see people running and you join them without knowing the reason, without questioning assumptions.

We must learn to question assumptions, we must question why we keep doing what we are doing, and take time to explore and expose our minds to other factors, this is how to break the inertia limitation to clear thinking. Another way to see this is cognitive bias

Cognitive inertia is the tendency for a particular orientation in how an individual thinks about an issue, belief, or strategy to resist change.

2. Societal and peer pressure

Sometimes our decision-making is impaired by the peer pressure that comes with having people around who subconsciously influence us to do the same.

This is advantageous and not healthy especially when you are in the wrong community.

Joining a community that drives luxurious cars would influence you to own one.

Be careful of the impact that society has on you, the voice of the people is not the voice of God The full quotation from Alcuin reads: Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, Vox populi, vox Dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit. And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God since the riotousness of the crowd is always very close to madness.

So don't always follow the crowd during your decision-making process.

3. Emotion

This is what separates man from animals, animals are guided by their instincts while men should take a logical and analytical standpoint.

For instance, animals are caught by the prediction of their instincts, fishes are caught because they instinctively eat, wolves are killed because they instinctively love blood, and monkeys expose the source of water because when they have been baited with licking salt they instinctively run to a known water source.

Rat is caught because it instinctively loves eating cheese and fish.

We should not be guided by our emotions, and find a way to not behave rashly out of emotions, love, anger, impatience, and hunger.

Give yourself 30 seconds to think about the consequences of the action you want to take out of emotions, don't do things impulsively especially buying

Good judgment is expensive but a wrong judgment would cost you much more.

1. Lastly Ego

Sometimes our urge to feel right overcomes our desire to be right, when you're trying to prove how right you are, you avoid all evidence for the contrary.

We must acknowledge that sometimes we don't know it all, and we can't always be right or make the right choices.

When you're conscious of the fact that you are responsible for your abilities, actions, and inactions, you'll be humbled to seek the opinion of others more experienced than you are.

Learn to compare factors for wanting to make a decision and find out the most important factor.

For instance, let's say one wants to get married.

There could be factors leading to wanting to get married like

1. Maturity (Age)

2. Peer pressure

3. Ambitions (wanting to travel with your spouse)

4. Family coercion

5. Wealth of spouse

6. Procreation

7. Avoiding lust and having sex

8. Companionship

These could be the factors involved, brainstorm and check which is the most dominant one and find out where they fall.

Peer pressure and Age fall under societal limitations

Lust falls under emotions, Ambitions fall under Ego, etc

They would enable you to think clearly and know exactly if this is the right decision to make at that moment.

Sometimes you need enough information to make a decision, consider decision making as a Tetris game where bricks are falling and you need time to know where to place the block dropping, or consider it like a puzzle that you need to understand the entire map and find the missing pieces unless it won't be completed.

You might need to make some decisions faster, especially when they have low consequences and are easy to reverse like dressing for work, picking a menu at a restaurant, choosing footwear, etc

While some decisions would require time and patience especially when they have high consequences and can't be easily reversed like marriage.

You'll know that it's time to make a decision when new ideas and information aren't coming about that situation and when you might lose the opportunity if a decision is taken immediately and forgive yourself when you don't make the right decision because to err is human.

I hope you found value