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June 2009 
How do you make decisions?
Posted on Nov 14th, 2008
by 
quietlaughter
quietlaughter
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for November 14, 2008:
I used to have a professor who would stand at the top of the stairs in his house with his pile of essays and throw them. Whatever landed at the bottom got an A. If the essay landed at his feet… well that would be an F my friend, a very sad and short fall into failure.
This is not how I make decisions… or is it? I sometimes am a planner, do research, check out everything, as many sides of the issue as I possibly can before I take a decision…. But then sometimes I am impulsive and don’t spend time at all thinking too much about it. An example of a planned decision? Hmmm for a second there I couldn’t think of a decision that I had planned out but I am sure that there is one. I have lots of on the fly decisions that I have made – like doing NaNoWriMo – that is my latest impulsive, not planning decision…. Why not write a novel when you are in the middle of one of the busier months at work and heading into Christmas and are already doing two other writing projects, not to mention all the other projects that are on the go – my inner critic was ranting when that happened. I heard ‘what are you fonting nuts or what?” a lot. Sigh.
But you know, doing the novel has been a really great experience. In fact the vast majority of decisions that I have made like that – trusting my instincts rather than thinking too much about something, have turned out be pretty great experiences, even if sometimes hard ones.
So, I guess I am more like my old prof than I wanted to admit. The good stuff that falls to the bottom – where my toes land… that is how I make my decisions to do anything.
Xo
la
This is not how I make decisions… or is it? I sometimes am a planner, do research, check out everything, as many sides of the issue as I possibly can before I take a decision…. But then sometimes I am impulsive and don’t spend time at all thinking too much about it. An example of a planned decision? Hmmm for a second there I couldn’t think of a decision that I had planned out but I am sure that there is one. I have lots of on the fly decisions that I have made – like doing NaNoWriMo – that is my latest impulsive, not planning decision…. Why not write a novel when you are in the middle of one of the busier months at work and heading into Christmas and are already doing two other writing projects, not to mention all the other projects that are on the go – my inner critic was ranting when that happened. I heard ‘what are you fonting nuts or what?” a lot. Sigh.
But you know, doing the novel has been a really great experience. In fact the vast majority of decisions that I have made like that – trusting my instincts rather than thinking too much about something, have turned out be pretty great experiences, even if sometimes hard ones.
So, I guess I am more like my old prof than I wanted to admit. The good stuff that falls to the bottom – where my toes land… that is how I make my decisions to do anything.
Xo
la
Access: Public
I always thought that's an urban myth [didn't know that term, though, of course!]] In college, there was always a story about a prof who did that.
Perhaps as you found you do, la, we all do? Will have to watch out. I'm glad you participated in the NaNo…was thinking of you. Perhaps you'll begin sharing again in that quiet still space of your po[n]d.
Are your toes in it yet?
Wow….what a way to make decisions. To throw papers down stairs. Yet, you're right, we probably have similar ways of making up our minds that are just as random. Trusting our instincts is probably the best way…. but I think that professor of yours kinda short-circuited the whole process. :)
thanks Meenakshi - I know for sure that my philosophy professor did that - he was quite proud of it ;-) as for Uncarved Block - what ends up posted there does in its own time - just am listening to what is meant to arrive there next, and will definitely post when it is time to :-)
hehe yes Centria - I believe in trusting my instincts - but also believe that I can only trust my instincts when I am aware and calm - unclouded. That being said, my old prof was definitely a bit off by throwing our papers down the stairs to grade them - just lazy in the end. He missed alot by doing that - that kind of arrogance I have a hard time dealing with in myself too!