"Outside the Box" - What does it mean?

In the context of better decision-making, "outside the box" means "in a more conscious way". But what does "in a more conscious way" mean? In this article, I wish to discuss two practical answers to this question (there are more), which will enable you to improve your decision-making skills.

AS FOR THE FIRST ANSWER, I will say that making decisions in a "more conscious way" simply means asking all the relevant questions and being conscious of both Internal and External Environments in which our decision-making process is taking place. The more relevant Inner and Outer Data we gather and are aware of, the better our decision is.

While the aforementioned may be quite obvious as to the outer world, it is shockingly quite neglected or ignored as to the inner world. Indeed, when we look for a job or buy an apartment, or look to make any other decision in the outer world, we conscious players strive to ask all relevant questions and gather all relevant outer world data which will help us both determine the choice which is right for our goals and avoid pain and regrets. We understand the importance of doing so.

However, as far as our inner world goes.... we usually do not ask all the necessary questions and try to avoid touching complicated emotional data though it is critical for a successful decision-making process. Questions like: What are the True Wants and Needs of our Inner Self (as opposed to the Outer Self)? Which Blocking Factors (Fears, Unconscious Decision-Making Patterns, etc.) are operating within us during the deliberation process and many other relevant questions are just being neglected or ignored.

When we set boundaries or walls in our decision-making process and there are questions we are not willing (consciously or unconsciously) to ask and data we are not willing to gather, it can be said that we are consciously or unconsciously operating within the box. To get out of this box all we need is to have courage and collect all relevant Inner and Outer Data. As simple and practical as that.

AS FOR THE SECOND ANSWER, it can be said that the box is our level of consciousness. The level of consciousness is the level of our awareness of ourselves within our surroundings and it dictates de facto the quality of decisions we can produce. When, for example, we are "zoned off", we simply cannot make great decisions, and neither can we when we are "emotional" or "identified" with the matter at hand. In the aforementioned stances we are practically boxed in our low level of consciousness and all our decisions are low-quality boxed-derived decisions.

How do we break free from the box of low consciousness? the answer is: by being mindful of this constraint and intentional about raising the levels of our consciousness as fast as possible. When we have raised the level of our consciousness we are outside the box. As simple and practical as that.

How do you raise the level of your consciousness? what practical tools do you use? Please feel free to share.

As for myself, I meditate and of course, intentionally meet or talk to people of higher consciousness when the need arises. This is practical and sound advice, as correct meditation is possible during all times of day, even in the turmoil of life, and being in touch with several people who know how to control their consciousness level is simply a matter of decision and is definitely under our control.

#decisionmaking #consciousness #decisions #coaching #thedecisionsnavigator