6 Decision-making Tools

In the last blog, I told you about the concept called LIFE Alignment, where we saw what all is LIFE and we saw why need not be in Union but we can and must always be aligned. That concept will definitely help your decision-making ability. And that led me to this week’s blog, to compile the best decision-making tools I’ve used during hard times, and ones I continue to use whenever required. I’m talking of all varieties of choices, to major life decisions.

So here you go, here are some of the best decision-making tools I use:

1. LIFE Alignment – We already saw this concept in last week’s blog. To practice it, ask these questions – What activities make me feel LIFE-like, and vice-versa? What events or gatherings make feel LIFE-like, and vice-versa? What kind of lifestyle makes me feel LIFE-full? Will this so-called opportunity move me toward LIFE? Is that the only way? Speaking of ways, we come to our next decision-making tool.
2. CHOICE – LIFE Alignment can solve most of the problems, but if still there’s any confusion, then these other tools will help. Try to see objectively – what choices you have. Sometimes there might be various choices. Many times there won’t be. And once you make the right choice you’ll feel that was the obvious and the only choice you had. Moreover, when you don’t feel like “living” by choosing the other choice, then there actually, isn’t any choice right? So ask yourselves this – “Do I actually have a choice here?”. If you said yes, ask “What are the choices?”. Then ask “which will move me towards LIFE?”, f you were able to point at one of the choices for that question, now ask again, “Do I have a choice?”. If you were not able to do so, you’ll have to use other decision-making tools.
3. You will die – I’ve already talked about this too in my second blog: Read your Obituary. People tend to postpone living assuming and considering their duration of life for granted. That is, they assume they’ll live for a long time. And that assumption will cover the person’s perspective with various delusions or myths. Ex: “I’ll work hard for a few days, months, or years now and then be happy after that”, is the biggest myth told by anyone and everyone. This is costing hugely on youth’s growth. They’re in confusion their entire life because of this. Because whatever they’re trying to do, they’re still seeking happiness. Happiness should never be, & seen as a future happening. Happiness should be a choice in the now! And moreover, how do you know? Do we know our death date? No right? Then how can you assume, I’ll “live” this way, after I earn X amount of money, or after I have my own mansion, or after my parents are pleased with me, or after I have a good story that society accepts and loves, etc, etc. Whatever it is that you want to pursue/work towards, and however that you want to live, live that life right now, because the fact is, YOU WILL DIE, and you don’t know when. And by this realization, one can easily move with death when the time arrives, because one knows he/she has lived a life of fulfillment.
4. “Do” or “not Do”? – “Be a + or – but not a zero” – I wrote that 2 years ago. Almost any movement is better than stagnation. Of course, the more aware you are, the better. But many times, people tend to choose to not work because of some lame excuse. Action is really really important in one’s life, we all know that. So ask yourselves this – Does this decision make me “Do” something or “not Do” anything?
5. Deep End – We talked about this in the blog: The Biggest Problem to Humanity. We don’t think enough. The LIFE Alignment model can solve this too, but if you do not think deeply enough, no mental model can help you. What I mean here is that you must ask yourselves and try to see the core reason for the decision you are making. Like in my favorite example, if you’re going to college because you want a seat in a better college for higher studies, and the reason for that is you want to get a good job, and that is because you want to make money, then the whole intention behind going to college is to make money right? This is just one kind of example, there are a lot of ways people are getting trapped by not thinking enough. You might be choosing between two streams, careers, jobs, whatever. Just dig deep enough to know why you are actually leaning toward that side. Did you choose the latter because you think you aren’t competent for the first, or did you choose the latter because you’ve already spent a lot of time wasting on it? ( if yes, Google: sunk-cost fallacy), or did you choose the first because you think that’s the only way? And “speaking of the only way”, we come to our next decision-making tool. 
6. Assumption Scraper – OMG, this is huge! Almost every day, people are falling into this trap of their own assumptions. Again, it’s due to the lack of thinking. But I’m not talking about the quantity of thinking here when I say it is due to lack of thinking It is lack of objective thinking or Viveka. So what I mention here as an assumption scraper is actually your Viveka, scrapping off your assumptions that have sedimented on your vision. Assumptions are the core bodies of delusions. Assumptions are of various kinds. Assuming “This is the only way” is the most common one. Assuming your curiosity is your intuition trying to pursue something is another significant one. In fact, as mentioned above, the idea that you’ll be alive, after this and that, is also an assumption and creates and masks a powerful delusion. So, what to do? Scrap it all off. Start from scratch. Don’t start from an assumption itself. Start with facts. 

If you think you are at a cross-road right now not having a clue of which way to go, I hope this helps you!

Thank You

Sanath Kumar Naibhi