Do you struggle with making decisions sometimes?
Do you have doubts that you’re on the right path at times?
Have you made big mistakes in the past and you’re not sure why?
Yes? Join the club… You’re gonna dig this article as it will shed some light on those questions.
It’s only natural to have doubts at times when we’re facing big decisions.
We all come to major crossroads in our lives
This article will help you make more powerful decisions and avoid major fuck-ups.
Source Of Decision #1: Ego Driven Decisions
WARNING flags should go up in your head when you catch your ego trying to make decisions.
This is by far the WORST kind of decision. It will often lead to disasters, pain and misery. The majority of the world’s epic fuck ups including every war were made by ego driven decisions.
Every decision made from: pride, unhealthy obsessions, resentments, jealousy, envy, anger, fear, sadness, shame and guilt is an ego driven decision.
Ego driven decisions usually have destructive consequences. I know because I’ve made them many times and loss businesses, friendships, relationships, happiness and more.
I’ve also been on the other side of the coin also when people made ego driven decisions that affected me and it sucked.
Take anger and resentments for an example. Resentments destroy marriages, businesses and friendships all the time.
What about business decisions made out of pride? I’ve had million dollar companies destroyed because of prideful decisions made by both of us.
What’s the worst that can happen when ego runs wild? Ego at it’s worst turns into megalomania. Hitler, Hussein, Osama Bin Laden were all megalomaniacs.
Fame, power and money amplify the ego. Character defects can quickly get out of control.
Here’s where it gets tricky… The ego is a master of illusions. It will often fool people into thinking they’re making a smart decision or a heart driven decision. Unless you do a lot of spiritual work, it’s normal to be blind to the slight of hand of the ego.
It’s a lot harder to see the ego’s smoke and mirrors BEFORE you make a decision. It’s often only in hindsight after you’re experiencing the consequences that you see where you went wrong.
We will go deep and explore the dark side of the ego in future articles on this blog.
Source Of Decision #2: The Mind
The second source, which is has far more power than the ego is: The Mind.
By using logic, intellect and reasoning — you can learn to make good, smart decisions.
Here are 4 keys to effectively using your mind to make solid decisions:
Key #1 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Reduce cognitive biases
Key #2 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Learn and develop effective thinking models
Key #3 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Build a deep neural net
Key #4 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Tap into your Jedi Council
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are perhaps the two of the greatest thinking masters in the world.
They use all 4 keys to make virtually all their investment decisions and have been for decades.
The results? They have the greatest investment track record in history.
One of the best books to learn how to reduce cognitive biases and develop more effective thinking models is: Seeking Wisdom.
Completely articles will be written about all 4 keys in the future. For now, let’s do a quick overview of each one.
Key #1: Reducing cognitive biases
Cognitive biases are mental tendencies and thought patterns that drive people to behave in irrational ways.
There are over 100 documented cognitive biases that cloud people’s thinking and lead them into error. By understanding these decision disrupters, and becoming aware of them in your decision making process — you’ll be far more effective and successful.
Here’s one simple example of a bias: The Gambler’s Fallacy.
Someone is flipping coins and there are 9 heads in a row, so people think that “head is due” and heads has a higher chance of hitting on the next coin toss.
REALITY: Every coin toss has a 50%-50% chance of hitting heads or tails REGARDLESS of what happened on the last coin toss. The coin has NO memory.
Example:
On August 18, 1913, at the casino in Monte Carlo, black came up a record twenty-six times in succession in roulette… There was a near-panicky rush to bet on red, beginning about the time black had come up a phenomenal fifteen times. The players doubled and tripled their stakes. The gambler’s fallacy drove them to believe after black came up the twentieth time that there was not a chance in a million of another repeat. In the end the unusual run enriched the Casino by some millions of francs.
Reducing cognitive biases is one of the best ways to reduce your errors on a mind level.
Key #2 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Learn and develop effective thinking models
“A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing”
That is a good example of the downside of pride. People that think “they’ve got it” when they are beginners, shuts down their open-mindedness to learn more. This is a cognitive bias called: Dunning-Kruger effect. It occurs where people fail to adequately assess their level of competence — or incompetence.
It doesn’t matter how high your IQ is… You can become a BETTER THINKER.
Most people have ONE thinking model, maybe two. If the only tool in your tool belt is a hammer, then everything will look like a nail.
One of the reasons Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett are so successful is because they have dozens of thinking models. They have enough models that they can solve virtually every challenge and problem.
As an experienced marketer, I have a dial with dozens of marketing solutions. It doesn’t matter what your business is, I most likely know the right solution for your challenge.
In order to learn new thinking models, you need FLEXIBILITY OF THE MIND. The more flexible your mind is, the easier it will be to develop new ways of seeing the world and processing information.
The book “Seeking Wisdom” does a good job of teaching some solid ways of thinking.
Key #3 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Build A Deep Neural Net
Want to be a master of your craft? The solution is to build a DEEP NEURAL NET.
Developing a deep neural net is one of the most powerful advantages you can have.
Billionaire investor and entrepreneur Mark Cuban says that the biggest edge in business is to: “Know your business and industry better than anyone else in the world.”
Warren Buffett “reads 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge builds up, like compound interest.”
A deep neural net means you have width and depth of understanding in your field of expertise. Let’s take fitness for an example, width includes: exercise, nutrition, recovery, technology and more. Depth means going deep into each one. For an example, exercise: weight lifting, crossfit, bodybuilding, strength training, aerobics, HIIT, etc…
If your goal is to become a world-class health expert, specializing in one area is a smart way to start. However, my suggestion is explore all fields of health. Use key #4 to find all the top experts in their fields and soak up everything they’ve got to share.
In order to be a great thinker in a field, you should study, understand and experiment with all every model you can find. Too many people make the mistake of reading 1 book, or trying 1 system and declaring it “the winner”. That’s a pride driven mistake.
Let’s take nutrition for an example. Most people dogmatically get hooked on one way of eating or another: paleo, keto, vegan, etc…
I’ve tried almost every style of eating and here’s what I learned: I know that there are several different metabolisms. Some people respond really well to ketogenic diets (like myself). Some people can get ripped eating carbs. I know that eating like a vegetarian is a great way to reduce inflammation.
The same goes for training. Bodybuilders are against aerobic exercises… crossfitters avoid bodybuilding. People try one system, get good results and declare it the “Be All End All”.
The reality is there are HUNDREDS of good training systems out there that work. And there are major benefits to your body by cycling from one to another. Only by trying various systems will you know what’s good for you.
Don’t get lost in the dogma — keep an open mind and go wide and deep.
Key #4 To Becoming A Great Thinker: Build A Jedi Council
Limit errors by having a council smarter than you.
It doesn’t matter how high our IQs are… how many cognitive biases we’ve smashed… how many thinking models we have and how deep our neural net is… We’re still prone to making errors and mistakes.
This is the power and value of key #4. By surrounding ourselves with a strong Jedi Council of wise experts, coaches
and mentors — we can minimize our bad judgements.
This is why every company on the stock market has a board of directors. The board is usually made up of older, experienced businessmen who can guide key decisions and strategy.
Jedi Councils can help us become aware of our cognitive biases and reveal new models of operating with their deep neural nets of experience.
Jedi Councils aren’t just for business. I believe everyone should have a PERSONAL Jedi Council.
I have a life coach I’ve been working with for over 10 years almost every week. I hire various health and fitness coaches (despite the fact I was a trainer for 10+ years). Ideally have someone helping you for every important area of your life.
A great coach/mentor can save you YEARS of frustration, speed up your learning curve and multiply your successes.
The Strongest Mindset For Building A Great Mind
By becoming a smart, relentless experimenter, you’re applying keys 1, 2, 3 and 4 simultaneously.
Find the top experts in their fields (key #4) and learn their ways of doing things (key #2). Temporarily forget your way of doing things (key #1) and try it. You’ll be adding new wisdom to your neural net that wouldn’t be possible otherwise (key #3).
Developing a flexible, scientific mind is one of the fastest shortcuts to becoming a powerful thinker.
Problems With Mind Based Decisions
The first problem is that the mind is prone to errors (see key #1). Everyone’s mind makes mistakes all the time — some more than others.
The second problem with logical, rational decisions is that they can lead you to an unfulfilled, unhappy place.
Take for an example, a career decision. Let’s imagine Tommy who comes from a family of doctors. His father and his grandfather were MDs. Sure, it makes sense for Tommy to pursue that path. He’s got the intellect, his parent’s support and it’s a career that will make him a lot of money. Plus, he’s going to help a lot of people
The problem is, he’s not passionate about it. He doesn’t care about medicine. Just because something “makes sense”, it doesn’t mean it’s going to excite you, motivate you and inspire you.
This is why the next two kinds of decision have far more power.
Source Of Decision #3: The Heart Driven Decision
Tap Into The Power of Your Heart’s Intelligence
The heart driven decision has far more power than the mind.
Heart driven decisions are fueled by passion, love and happiness
Heart driven decision lead to life of fulfillment.
Heart driven decisions can be made in all areas of your life from: your relationships to your career.
One of the things I teach is how to “Turn Your Passion Into Profit”. After I worked in a stinky lobster factory for a summer, I decided I would never do something I didn’t love for a living again.
Since then, I’ve only made a living doing things I LOVE: personal training, health, music and marketing.
Analyze your life and be rigorously honest: Which parts of your life did you make a “mind based decision” that is making your heart suffer?
Are you in the right relationship?
Are you doing the right career?
Are you living in the right place?
Mind vs. Heart: Play The Tape Forward
Sometimes there will be a battle between your mind and heart when making a big decision.
Choose your path wisely.
On one hand things make sense… on the other hand it doesn’t make your heart sing.
One of the best methods is to “Play The Tape Forward”. Close your eyes and imagine your life both ways… how will you feel on a daily basis? What will
your life look like? Will you be happy 5 years from now?
When playing the tape forward, use happiness as the metric to evaluate which road is the best path.
Be careful to confuse EMOTIONS with Heart. Lots of emotions are ego-driven like lust and pride. There’s a world of difference between lust (ego) and Love (heart).
The Power Of Heart Driven Decisions
If you’re struggling with motivation and you’ve become a “motivation junkie” it’s because you’re lacking inspiration. Inspiration is far more powerful than motivation.
Heart driven decisions constantly renew the well of inspiration. Motivation becomes irrelevant.
Motivation comes from using your mind to PUSH yourself. Inspiration comes from the heart and pulls you into action.
Source Of Decision #4: Compelled By The Soul
The final and most powerful form of decision comes from The Soul.
Soul Driven Decisions COMPEL you into action.
Compelled (The Soul) > Inspiration (The Heart) > Motivation (The mind)
There is no stronger power than being compelled by your Soul. People that are compelled are unstoppable on their missions. They are often obsessed. The Steve Jobs… The Elon Musks… The Jeff Bezos…
They never need “motivation”. The inherent power of their drive comes from within and has no bottom.
Quiet the mind and listen…
People who have strong intuitions can hear the Soul’s messages. These messages come from our Higher Self (instead of our small self: ego).
These thoughts often come as Revelations.
Here are some of the activators of Soul Driven Decisions: Purpose, Life Lessons and Karma.
What’s your purpose?
Why are you on Earth?
I believe it’s EVERYONE’S purpose to grow spiritually while were here. When evolving spiritually becomes your primary goal, all of life changes.
A big part of growing spiritually comes from Learning Life Lessons and from Upgrading our Karma.
Life Lessons
We all have character defects, bad thinking patterns and destructive habits that our Soul wants to correct.
I believe that our Soul will often compel us to make certain decisions to put us in a position where we have the opportunity to learn, grow and evolve.
If you read my personal story, I believe that all the bottoms I hit set me up for Critical Life Lessons. And because I chose the right path at those crossroads, I live a Limitless Life (Get the 27 page report FREE by clicking here ).
Karma
A very high percentage of the world believes in multiple lives and Karma. The Buddha said, that we continue to reincarnate as humans until we become enlightened.
Many Spiritual teachers believe we reincarnate to undo bad Karma from past lives. If this is true… it would make sense that our soul compels us to make certain decisions to clean our Karma.
I do believe there is Divine Justice in this Universe.
Dr. Hawkins says there are two ways to clean your Karma:
- Experience the bad things you’ve done
- Do good things
So Karma doesn’t have to be a bitch! I do believe that by being of service and helping others — we can proactively improve our Karma.
This Blog Is A Soul Driven Decision
Launching this blog is a soul driven decision.
Yes there are some business benefits to doing this blog, but they aren’t significant enough to be the main driver. I can make a lot more money doing a lot of other things.
What about Heart? Yes, I enjoy writing and there’s some passion there.
However — the main source of power on this project is far deeper. Ever since I’ve been shot, there’s been something compelling me to “share what I know with the world”. I KNOW that we must share our gifts with the world — otherwise we risk losing them. I didn’t listen to it for 2 years, but it never went away. The voice only got stronger. That’s what being COMPELLED looks like.
So I finally listened.
There are also a lot of Life Lessons by doing this for me. I’ve always been “the wizard behind the scenes”. Now I’m the front guy. I’m the one who’s going to take the arrows, the criticism and the judgements. I know I’ll grow from that. Earlier in my life, I was scared of it. That fear stopped me from launching several products.
Fuck all fears… cause they’re all illusions. I’m ready for whatever the Universe brings. Are you?
I would love to hear examples of how you’ve made some heart driven or soul driven decisions? Share your experiences in the comments below.
