Chapter Synopsis:
1. Studies show that heightened and prolonged exposure to stress
reduces willpower and the ability to exhibit self-control. Reduce
stress through physical activity, music, outdoor activities and times
in nature, massages, meditation, and breaks.
2. Stress has been proven to be an ally during crises moments and
allow us to enter a stage of peak performance. To enter this stage
takes 10 deep mindful breaths when things start getting stressful.
After the breathing exercise reframe your perspective. Put the
magnitude of the stressor in real terms of its actual severity.
Imagining it on a timeline of your life from start to finish can help
bring calm and clarity to the stressor’s true severity level.
3. Studies showed that people are prone to sacrificing future gains for
present rewards. This is because they view their future self as a
stranger creating quite an obstacle in resisting temptation. To
avoid this imagine your future self (either feared or desired future
self) before making a decision. The studies showed that this
improves our abilities to make better decisions in the present for
greater gains in the future.
4. Studies show that decision fatigue encourages you to make the
easiest, but often times not the best, decisions. The studies also
show that after a short break effective decision making returns.
Use the Pomodoro Technique to embed your productive hours with
5 minute breaks. In addition streamline as many menial decisions
as possible. Using a daily routine and planning your next day the
night before is a great way to streamline menial decisions. Try and
make important decisions after a break.
5. Studies show highly skilled individuals underestimate their
abilities while unskilled individuals overestimate them. Additional
studies showed that in general people overestimate their abilities to
control their urges and resist temptation. To combat this, assume
your self-control skill set is a work in progress. Error on the side
of caution and fully evaluate your options. Commit to a decision
once it is made. Be willing to take measured risks.
6. Many biases that create psychological makeup of a human really
make creating change an uphill battle. To gain an upper hand on
this obstacle, imagine a hypothetical scenario where the status quo
would be the results from the alternative. If the imagined scenario
is more desirable than the current reality you know the decision to
make. Evaluate if current circumstances are creating friction on
your path to your long-term goal
7. When unable to reach a clear optimal decision ask a friend, role
model, or mentor. A second or even third pair of eyes on a
problem can bring ideas to the table you could not have alone.
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