🧠Weekly Mind Sweep #90| Manage Your Mind | Decision
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay, it will be double
So come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go [*1]
On the surface, the idea of someone deciding for us can sound dreamy:
Ahhh, I don't have to make any more adult decisions?
No more sleepless nights of which way is the right way, the best way, the way that will lead to the results I want?! Count me in!
Allow me to set a scene of what this experience might feel like:
You slowly and gently open your eyes when your body is ready to wake in the morning. When you feel ready, you place your feet on a warm floor and look over to find the clothes you need on the bed that perfectly match your comfort level and temperature for that day's weather.
After dressing, you calmly walk down the stairs to the smell of fresh coffee brewing its last drop into your favorite mug. Your healthfully prepared breakfast awaits you on the dining room table and is at the optimal temperature for you to enjoy.
You gently sit where you can peer out the window to your picturesque backyard as bunnies hop through the morning dew on the emerald green grass blades while a soft guitar strum plays acoustic music.
You slowly digest your breakfast in this calm and serene environment as you allow your mind to wander and dream about what this gift of a day could hold for you.
Oh, hi. Welcome back to entrepreneurship!
I'm so sorry to wake you from that life-altering dream.
So yeah, remember those 35,000 daily decisions I mentioned two weeks ago? Science says we make about 90% of them subconsciously and fast. They run automatically, they are always "on," primarily non-verbal, and it's main focus is keeping us safe without using too much energy.
Do you ever stop occasionally and question yourself, "Wait, did I brush my teeth today?"
Our brains LOVE patterns and consistency and will create shortcuts when we repeat a behavior consistently. It recognizes the pattern and moves it from an intention to a habit. When brushing your teeth every morning immediately after getting out of the shower, you have developed a habit, and it has become so repetitive that you don't have to think about doing it.
These unconscious habits provide cognitive maps of relational knowledge to new situations. For example, when you now take this well-formed habit to a sleepover, hotel, or your favorite Airbnb in Portland, Maine [*2] , you continue the habit even though you are in a new place.
Similarly, if you've eaten in a restaurant before, when you enter the new eatery in town, there will be new experiences, but overall, you know what you need to do, and how to behave, etc.
How does the brain make decisions in situations it has never faced before?
Well, that's the other 10%. They are conscious and slow. They depend heavily on working memory, use emotional intelligence, and are "self-disciplined," i.e., Adult behavior. Truth is. Science is still working on understanding how our brain does this.
What I found most exciting about the research I did was:
"Study after study on the inner workings of the human brain comes to the same conclusion: The deeper more primitive parts of the brain are better at decision-making than the logical neocortex." [*3]
Wait, primitive reflexes?! This means trust your gut!
Ah, but wait a minute. Don't make a decision too fast. That's impulsive.
Don't wait too long, or you'll get stuck in indecision. "This doesn't 'feel good,' so I must ruminate on all possible outcomes!"
Um, brain, what the actual heck am I supposed to do?
Here are some strategies to be better prepared when these 10% decisions arise:
Take a breath. This slight pause allows us to regain some consciousness and minimize the impact of our automatic or emotional responses.
Be mindful of your emotions. Discomfort in a decision could be telling you this doesn't align with your values. If you have the time, walk away and reflect.
Consider another perspective. Reach out to those you like, know, and trust to shed light on other points of view. It can be more apparent to someone less emotionally attached to the outcome.
Embrace Mistakes. When we can reflect on the gifts and opportunities from a decision that didn't end the way we wanted or expected it, we gain awareness that this can happen, and our brain witnesses that we survived it.
Learn by doing. The more practice and experience we have with decision-making, the more information our brain gathers, learns from the results of those actions, and makes new connections for improved decision-making.
What strategy will you try this week?
Understanding how our brains work supports better business and life decision-making. Even though my day doesn’t begin like I started this email, I wouldn’t change a thing about the business I created. Tell the Clash, I’m staying.
Do you feel the same?
If not, I can help.
Let’s Connect.
MindSweep Mapping will turn your "What idea do I bring to the world" challenge into a plan to execute.
For September, receive a discounted MindSweep Mapping Session [*4] when you join The Entreprenur's BrainTrust. We begin 10/02/2023.
There are three spaces left. One of them is yours!
Supporting entrepreneurs in pursuing profitable ideas
The Chickbook Creative Entrepreneurs Brain Trust is a membership-based community that creates a safe and inclusive space for entrepreneurs to cultivate new relationships, inspire personal and professional growth, and explore possibilities.
This has become a new space for my digressions.
[*1] I've been dying to use that all month. It's one of my favorite songs by the Clash because it brings back family memories of singing it at the top of my lungs with my late uncle.
[*2] Are you a Portland, Maine fan too? Will I see you at the Maine Women’s Conference?
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