30 tips in 30 days: #15.

Making decisions in our daily lives is an excellent opportunity for practicing mindful self rule rooted in global consciousness.

Academic researchers have developed diverse detailed models for decision-making. However, few of us in youth are taught the most elementary methods for using our minds to make life choices.

The cynic in me wonders if the “powers that be” want us to stay ignorant about how to think for ourselves, so we are easier to control. On the other hand, maybe educators are preoccupied with teaching basics like reading and math. Either way, my gut tells me to give you the central tenets here and invite you to go further on your own.

Experts generally break down the decision-making process into seven necessary steps. Some add an eighth step.

1. Identify Your Goal or Desired Outcome – What do you want to decide? What shoes will I buy? Which candidate deserves my vote? Should I join a neighborhood social club? Some of our decisions are “yes” or “no” while other are more complex.

2. – – Do research as appropriate to create a list of all possible choices. Do brainstorming. List the shoes you like. List the candidates. List alternatives to the club for socializing.

3) Identify Potential Consequences of All Choices – For each choice on your list, write down all the possible outcomes, the pros and cons, the best case and worst case scenarios. Be as honest with yourself as you can. If you wear woman’s clothes, the brown shoes may go with this dress but not that dress. The black shoes may go with almost any outfit. If you buy the ruby red shoes, your friends may call you Dorothy and send you back to Oz.

4) Assess the Likelihood of Consequences – Use evidence and logic to predict the most probable outcome from each choice. Be realistic and honest with yourself. The red candidate likely will support only conservative policies. The ambitious blue candidate likely will serve one term and then quit to run for higher office. The green candidate worked for strong environmental protection in the state assembly, so that person likely will do the same in Congress.

5) Assess the Importance of These Likely Consequences – If I join the social club, I may make new friends, but I’ll have less free time. What matters to me? I like the green candidate, but the blue candidate has a better chance of defeating the red candidate. What matters most? The black shoes will be the most versatile, but those red shoes will be stunning at the party on Friday. Which matters most?

6) Make a Decision – Having looked at the pros and cons, having looked at the likely consequences of each option, having looked at your priorities, choose the option that appeals to you most. Dont get bogged down by doubt or worry. Just make a choice.

7) Take Action – Once you make the decision, or once you “take the decision,” act on it immediately. Delay undermines your resolve. Buy the shoes. Go vote. Join the club. Get on with it.

8. Evaluate Results — After you act on a decision, what happens? Reflect on the outcome. What would you do the same or differently next time? Treat decision-making as a learning process.

If you wish to help create a quantum shift into global consciousness on our planet, please share with others this excerpt from my book: GLOBAL SENSE: The 2012 Edition: A spiritual handbook on the nature of society and how to change the world by changing ourselves

If you wish to read Global Sense, please visit Amazon.