Decision Making – here’s two more qualities we want to focus on:

    * The habit of reaching definite and prompt decisions.
    * The habit of basing opinions on known facts instead of relying on guesswork.

Examine your ability to make decisions and make them quickly. Are you like me in my non-work life – I ruminate over and over on things – is this the right thing to do? Should I do it this way? Should I do it that way? What might happen? Etc…..

This is in complete contradiction to my work life. As an ER doctor, I have to make quick decisions and they ahve to be based on facts – but in the ER you don’t have alot of time to gather those facts. So, that’s a talent you cultivate and improve constantly.

In my other work (the military disability system) I have to be able to make quick decisions in order to keep the workload going. This, too, is based on my many years of experience doing this job.

What is your decision making process? Write down some things that you do well and some that you may not do as well as you’d like. Write down the things that are hard for you to make decisions about. What can you do to improve the process?

What can you do to make it rapid decision making a habit for you? For a week, pay attention to the decisions you have to make and how long it takes you as well as what you base those decisions on. At the end of the week decide if this has improved your process. Decide what, if anything, it has done for you?

Write it down. I have to continually emphasize that writing these things down (on paper or in the computer) will solidify them in your mind.

Let us know what’s been happening in your life. Has it seemed to move more quickly? That’s good. Has it seem improved with less anxiety.

Terrie