In my post What’s the risk I talked about not hesitating because it is too risky. And maybe some people liked the idea but still didn’t understand how to make a decision and stop hesitating. So I wanted to talk about how you can take actionable steps right now to improve your decision-making ability.
That’s where the OODA loop comes into play.
Developed by military strategist and United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd, OODA loop stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act.
Boyd developed the strategy so that fighter pilots could learn to take quick action in critical times where agility is more important than accuracy.
So sure, making decisions fast is important in life or death scenarios like in the military we could all understand that. But what does that mean for people in everyday life?
Well, I would also consider the long-time motto of Facebook. Understanding the importance of deciding and acting fast, Mark Zuckerberg deemed Facebook’s motto, “Move fast and break things.” He knew running a perfect business wasn’t crucial to their success, but being first, being fast, and being decisive was. Facebook’s motto has since changed, but move fast is still the first two words of their new motto, emphasizing the lasting importance of being decisive.
A great way for you to start is by practicing being decisive is at times when the consequences are really irrelevant.
My favorite example is when you go out to eat.
The people putting these food menus together are not stupid. A menu at Applebee’s is more interesting, engaging, and overall a better read than anything I ever posted. But all their food is still.. Terrible.
But that menu… it could have you thinking for 30 minutes or even longer about what to order. Does it really matter? Even if you’re at a 5 star restaurant does what you order actually matter?
No. Regardless of where you go the food is just a part of the experience and you could order the best thing on the menu and you still might be unsatisfied. So quit trying to order the perfect thing. Just order. I purposely give myself a one minute cap on how long I could take to order something on any menu.
Is it because I’m really obsessive compulsive about how long it takes to order food? No.
But this is a great opportunity to practice making a decision when the stakes are low.
Try to find other examples in your own life to practice.
If you’re concerned about choosing incorrectly and being reckless… consider again the motto that helped turn Mark Zuckerberg from college dropout to over $70+ billion dollars in net worth.
Move fast and break things.
And when you find yourself hesitating or over-thinking something in your everyday life, practice the same method used by top military fighter pilots to stay alive.
Observe, orient, decide, and act.
They don't hesitate, why should you?
Learn more on this:
Podcast: Imperfect is Perfect - Mark Zuckerberg
https://mastersofscale.com/mark-zuckerberg-imperfect-is-perfect/
Article: Stop Overanalyzing
https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/06/28/six-ways-to-stop-overanalyzing-become-more-decisive/#453404985775
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