Decision Making - How do I know if I'm making the right choice? - Ep. 7

In this episode, Tony and Brian discuss:
Is free will an illusion?
How one small change in your mindset can reduce Anxiety and Worry
Why new decision making strategies can have a major impact on your life
The superpower of letting go
Are negative experiences the most important?
The impact of indecision and how to move past it
Why biases are limiting you
How to stop spending time on things you don't care about
What to do if I regret my career choice?
Timestamps

(1:05) Do we have free will?

(4:31) Neuroplasticity and our brains are like a computer. There is hardware - our genetics, and software - the experiences we load onto it.

(7:14) Can you get over anxiety?

(9:00) Do you use worry as a tool?

(10:20) How to identify what decisions are worth paying attention to

(12:42) The story of the farmer taking life in stride

(14:47) What is the right decision?

(17:10) How do I make big decisions feel more manageable?

(18:27) How do I know my decisions are good ones?

(20:23) Are some decisions more important than others?

(22:50) How do I manage opportunities and the number of decisions I have to make?

(27:11) How do biases impact my decisions?

Show notes ep 7 decisions

We didn’t pick our parents, we didn’t pick our life experiences, so there’s an element of chance in all aspects of your life. There is a lot of biases and beliefs that come preloaded on us because of nature and nurture.

Our brains are like computers. We have hardware that makes us who we are. Our tendencies to act and feel certain ways. Then we have the software, which is our learned experiences. Software is all of the parts of our lives that shape how the hardware operates.

Neuroplasticity is like walking in a forest. Just like when we walk through a forest and have to make new paths, our brains do the same with learning. The more we walk down certain paths the more defined they become.

Changing our thought process from “I have anxiety” to “there is anxiety present” makes the feeling something impermanent. It allows us to move past that feeling of anxiousness instead of believing it’s a part of everything we do.

If you’re not careful you might be using worry as a tool. Worry allows us to feel a false sense of control over one’s future. Think about it like trying to worry about all the outcomes that could potentially happen, so you won’t be surprised.

You can use simple strategies to help you identify what you want to be putting your attention on. Exercises that help us identify what we can and can’t control can be very helpful. Click here for the worksheet that can help you with that.

We tend to see things in the moment as “good” and “bad”. But when we look back on our experiences it’s often the case that a “good” experience didn’t turn out like we hoped and sometimes our “bad” experiences are the most important instructors.

Every choice comes with an opportunity cost. When we make a choice in the moment it comes with pros and cons. We’re going to gain and lose from every decision but it’s important to make a decision and live with the consequences.

When you begin down a new path, try to begin with small steps. It’s much easier to climb a 100-foot ladder when the steps are one foot apart than it is to climb a 100-foot ladder when the steps are 10 feet apart.

“The Secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.” - Mark Twain

A lot of life is being open to new experiences. If you’re someone who believes that the world is black and white, you will miss out