savant principle no. 3: decisiveness
2022 is off to a blazing start, but let’s be honest…it feels a lot like 2020 and 2021. The pandemic is still running up numbers across the globe (stay safe, good people), the country is still politically/socially/economically divided at every point, we still have to wear masks, and people still can’t drive worth a damn (Floridians and Californians, I’m talking to you). Anyway, it’s tough out here and the troubles are deeply exacerbated when we realize that we now have to do all of this without the greats like Sidney Poitier, Bob Saget, and Betty White (Rest in Peace to them all, but oh lawd what will we do without sweet, sweet Betty). You see, the truth of the matter is: change is inevitable. Life will continually force you to stay sharp, akin to batting against the great Satchel Paige in his prime (IMO, the greatest pitcher baseball has ever seen). Curve balls. Change ups. You name it…life will throw it. Much like stepping up to the plate in American baseball, a functional necessity for us as adults is to be decisive. As my momma used to tell me as a kid, “If you ever want to be considered a grown up, you gotta learn to make up your mind and go with it.” Granted, momma didn’t tell me that being an adult and paying bills is for the birds sometimes…but you know how that goes.
Part of being a full-functioning ‘adult’ (by societal definition) is making decisions and living with the outcome. This applies relationships, friendships, job [choice], living space, location, the restaurant/bar we decide to go to, you name it. Life is all about decisions made and the outcomes that follow. An obvious part of this conversation is ‘responsibility’ and the consideration of what is at stake when we make our decisions…but ultimately we get to decide how things play out on a day-to-day basis. We have all had this conversation in some way, shape, or form in our lives and at the root, our trajectory going forward is largely contingent on the decisions that we make on a daily basis. Granted, the major decisions can be daunting but the smaller, daily decisions actually have a higher impact because the decisions we make when no one is watching are the ones that exemplify the content our character…which in turn informs our behaviors and dictates our outcome.
It doesn’t matter what we want, really. By that, I mean that we can put anything in the box of ‘wants’ because our desires are never-ending. As people, we value millions of inanimate items outside of our basic human ‘needs.’ There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but we must remember that every decision that we make for ‘gain’ is inadvertently an equal-and-opposite decision that we make for something we will ‘lose.’ If we want that LV belt instead of Walmart, we will damn sure lose more chips. If we want to leave our job in search of another one (for whatever reason), we must recognize what is at stake. On the most personal front, we also have the liberty of choosing who we share our space with (friends, family, spouses, and so on) and the trade-off there is probably the most obvious. The point is: we get to decide what our lives look like, but that process can be tough…especially when the stakes are high, if our judgement is clouded, or if we are too close to the issue. Don’t trip. Savant’s got you. Here, I will share a few steps to guide you during the decision-making process!
1) Figure out where you stand. First off, it is of utmost importance to truly dig and determine what has your feathers ruffled. How do you make sense of the issue? Do you like where you are? What is the problem? What is missing? The first step is paramount to the progression of the collective journey, especially because the state of self then informs the future trajectory. If you don’t know where you stand on the apparent ‘issue’ and you have not taken the time to understand your thoughts on the matter, you are doomed from the jump. Instead, take a moment to determine the objective and decide what is missing. Only then can you amicably advance to the next stage: determining the objective.
2) Determine the objective. Simply put, what needs to change in order to achieve true psychological fortitude? What is needed for you to feel fulfilled? What would make you happy? At this stage, it’s time to advance your thoughts and figure out what it would take in order to achieve personal balance or fulfillment. Before we get too far, we must acknowledge that it is important to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based here; set SMART goals. This mnemonic acronym has been used in millions of ‘guides to success’ since its inception in the early 80’s…for good reason. It works wonders when amicably practiced because it aids in clearly defining the objective. Essentially, this is the stage in which it is paramount to determine exactly what needs to change in order for tomorrow to be more fulfilling than today.
3) Assess the possible outcomes. Now that we have figured out stance and objective, it’s time to take a deep dive into the situation and determine what might happen as a result of each potential course of action. Much like the game of chess, part of making your move is considering how the others in the space will move and being prepared for those outcomes. Sometimes things will work out just as we imagined, but there are obviously times when things will take a turn that we didn’t see coming. The best we can do is simply prepare ourselves to be open and honest with what comes our way when the move is made. We can never tell people what to think or how to react to our moves, but we can prepare ourselves for what might come and cover our bases in that fashion. Simply put, take the time to consider what could happen when the decision is made and action is taken. This is not to say that prognostication is in order, but rather a notion that forethought will prove beneficial down the stretch. This applies to relationships, major life decisions, large purchases, and even our choice of bar for happy hour. Assess the possible outcomes beforehand, then…
4) Make the move! - Gametime, my friend. Stage four is the Real-Deal Holyfield stage; time to put up or shut up. At this stage, we are focused on one thing: execution. We have considered where we stand, we have determined what we would like to happen, we have assessed the possible outcomes, and now it’s time to make the move with the utmost confidence that we have done our homework. Preparation begets prosperity, and being that we have already measured thrice, it’s time to make the cut. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts. Trust your preparation and believe in your ability to bring it home. No matter what the decision is, you can handle it. In paraphrasing Dr. Sean Maguire, do what’s in your heart and you will be just fine.
Listen, making decisions is a bittersweet game. It can be sweet when we realize that we have the power to influence the future in some way, while also being bitter when we realize that we have the burden of influencing the future in some way. It can be ugly, right? Our decision to do (or not do) something can have catastrophic influences on millions of people, for better or worse. Admittedly, that can be scary to think about…but decisions are necessary for progression. The last thing we ought to desire is to be frozen in oblivion. At that point, we would be relinquishing all ability to decide for ourselves and inadvertently allowing societal forces to carry us down the stream with no control over how our lives play out. In that case, we might be alive…but that’s damn sure not living.
We might not always have ample time to make big decisions, but we must take the time afforded to us to think about our moves before we make them. Think, then act. Think, then speak. Think first, even if only for a modicum of time. No, this is not an invitation to overthink every decision you make…but quite the opposite. Progress through the Savant steps, be decisive, and make your move. Your future self will thank your current self when you capture a moment of forethought prior to making decisions. At that point, you can always say that you’ve done your homework and as a professor, that’s all I can ask for.
Wait, one more thing…
There must also exist a unwavering commitment to reflection. It remains imperative to assess how the decision played out and ways that decisions could potentially improve in the future. Much like being an athlete and watching game film or being a student and (although few people do this) reading the comments from your professor in order to do better next time, reflection is paramount. It can be annoying work, but reflection is a necessary practice to ensure that we are truly learning as we go, as opposed to repeating the same behavioral mistakes that we have committed in the past. Even if the decision doesn’t go as planned, we only lose if we don’t learn. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be damned if I take an L that I can avoid. That is not the way of the Savant.
Siempre,
Savant Lamont 🌹
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