honey nut cheerios or regular?
blue shirt or gray?
shower or snooze button?
blue shirt or gray?
shower or snooze button?
Every so often we find ourselves presented with a decision of great impact and our rhythmic decision making tactics are launched out the window and time stops.
peace corps or business school?
job A or job B?
mr(s). right or mr(s). almost right?
job A or job B?
mr(s). right or mr(s). almost right?
Although we are never really sure of the outcome of the path we did not choose, we are mostly relieved when we are content with the one we did choose.
How many decisions in our life, like the decisions above, are good vs. better? We often are forced to choose between two appealing paths, otherwise what effort would a decision take?
Where some may say, win/win - look at it again... why choose good when you could have better?
Better takes sacrifice, Better takes patience, Better takes you outside comforts. And perhaps that scares us into Good. It is important to analyze our decisions to ensure we are not settling for Good - and if not today, when?
And when time does start again, there is no day but today... or life is yours to miss.
How many decisions in our life, like the decisions above, are good vs. better? We often are forced to choose between two appealing paths, otherwise what effort would a decision take?
Where some may say, win/win - look at it again... why choose good when you could have better?
Better takes sacrifice, Better takes patience, Better takes you outside comforts. And perhaps that scares us into Good. It is important to analyze our decisions to ensure we are not settling for Good - and if not today, when?
And when time does start again, there is no day but today... or life is yours to miss.
6 comments:
I hate to compare furniture sales to making decisions, but I feel furniture sales and retail sales in general can compare to anything, i.e. 10 objectives of selling to dating (lemme know if you want to hear that comparison later). But it is key in the sales environment-after the customer has been qualified-to make a presentation of the products through selection by comparison. This presentation is done with 3 products, which under the customers needs, will inherit a good-better-best selection. Oak Veneer Table, Solid Oak Table, and Solid Quartersawn Oak Table will represent these three products. In the order of good, best, better, the layout and pyschology of the presentation is suppose to allow the customer to choose the BETTER product because it arguably has more comparative value or "bang for your buck", and if they choose the other two, well you just roll with it. This compares to the blogs suggested good-better-best decisions because society and sometimes our own desires lure us into choosing the BETTER decision. But shouldnt we choose the BEST option if we are 100% confident that it is the best scenario? I know that the Solid Quartersawn Oak Table with a polyurethane finish is the BEST table and it will last longer-why shouldnt i buy it? Understand though, that this is under reasonable conditions, i.e. i can afford the table. But under proper qualified desires, a new selection can be made in which there is still a BEST option available. We need to choose the BEST decision- get the dang pimpin table! Another example to explain this is relationships. Should i go for the best possible match or just some good, maybe better, but more or less safe/easy match? We should not pursue the cute guy/girl sipping on a milkshake that makes us giggle but nothing more; we should pursue the best suitable partner that invigorates our character, self-worth, and soul under God's Kingdom, and....who also will make us giggle while sipping on a milkshake. Just another example, they are many decisions to make, but my point is this: In a decision making process, under the correct and ideal selections, make the BEST decision.
The BEST decision shouldnt be necessarily based on a utilitarian view. The decision should not be entirely based on the most utility or value i get. I think it should be based on our right, moral, and conscious desires in our heart which align with God. The BEST table could have more utility and could be the most desirable as well. If this does not make sense in either two comments, lemme know.
Should be noted that reflection on the decision you did make, accepting it for what it can be and what you can make it to be, will help you make that better decision the next time it comes around. If we are not in a constant state of learning and refinement, then we miss out on a lot of those things that are better.
The more roles we are able to fluidly move through the better we can be for a larger number of people.
Thanks for talking a bit and providing a good starting point for reflection the other weekend. I wish I would have been able to continue the conversation; sigh, decisions.
Firstly, I love love love the RENT shout outs!! Fantastic.
What you're asking in this week's blog is something we have all wondered from time to time: "Did I make the right choice?" In the movie The Wedding Planner, Matthew McConaughey's character asks that very universal question: "So what if what I think is good, really is good, but not AS good as something else?" He is referring to the woman he's about to marry; he loves her and their relationship is fine, but what if something better exists?
I think that it depends on what we're talking about here, and what the circumstance is. In a relationship, NEVER settle for someone if it's ho-hum, or okay, or fine. Always wait for that one that you can't live without. It will be worth it!
But if it's other things, like a job (not necessarily a career) or where to vacation if on a budget, then I think you have to do what you are able to do, what works at the time, and make the best of it, understanding that ATTITUDE has SO much to do with experiences. Sometimes we learn more about ourselves and about life in general when there is room to grow.
That being said, generally speaking, my personal and humble opinion is to take an outside perspective and see what makes the most sense. See if that's what your gut tells you too. And pray about it. Make the best decision you can, and let the pieces fall where they may. If it turns out to not be the best experience, chalk it up to a lesson learned, move on and make a more educated decision than last time.
Though I agree that good is typically the enemy of best, I also think we can fall into the trap of indecision. We're too afraid to make a decision because we think we haven't seen all the options thinking maybe there is something better out there. A Google search for anything will result in a million choices. Even between two good choices, we can drive ourselves crazy by arguing the subtle differences. Referring back to a previous blog, that's a lot of pressure to put on ourselves. I think we have to assess what is the "best" for us at that time, and commit to it. We could always find something "better" than what we currently have. But where's the contentment and commitment in that?
here's my two cents worth in decision-making ...
i'm stuck between plenty of "life-changing" decisions right now. i have finally decided that it's not all my responsibility to make these decisions.
this may seem like a cop-out, but give it up to God! He will lead you in the right direction with much patience, faithfulness, and consistency in prayer and praise to Him.
He hasn't led me astray yet ...
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