fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
What if?; What if?;
By: Imλbөпg Fλmiпц
Tags: Life, Life Lessons, Lifehacks, Decision Making, Advice

What if?; What if?; What if? What if I had done things this way?; What if i hadn’t made that decision?. What if?; What if?; What if? You know what?, You will never know because there is no perfect situation or set of parameters. Ceteris Paribus does not work in real life because in life, all things are never equal. Ceteris Paribus only works in the movies, in controlled environments or in experiments. Life — Life is messy with its ups and downs, uncertainties and spanners in the works. What if questions are a form of torture. A more useful venture would be to accept the present state of things; deal with the current situation as best as you can and then make plans and take actions to ensure favourable outcomes in the future
Feelings v. Intellect
By: Gaston King
Tags: Feelings, Thoughts, Poetry, Decision Making, Debate

Feelings v. Intellect

Photo by Aditya Joshi on Unsplash

Savoring supple moments,

Idle chatter mixed with wishful glances,

Wandering eyes meet in hopes to exchange sustaining smiles.

Disregarding the cautions signs and refusing to tread lightly.

Each unspoken phrase serving as a coal to tend the fire within.

A flame created to illuminate a long-forgotten desire.

A shimmering blaze catches the outskirts of my lungs.

Causing me to suffer and reach out for breath.

A fruitful thought proves powerful and allows me to hold out.

I begin to grasp forward for anything, I reach out further.

My hand connects to yours as my priorities begin reconfiguring.

I crave your touch more than oxygen.

God grants my lungs redemption as they expand larger than before.

An energy proved palpable knocked the wind into me.

You coexist with a polite filled manner,

Accepting my hand with aid but with retracted affection.

You catch my eyes, learning of their true intent.

Escaping their meeting with thoughts of another.

A voice of reason ascends to the control room,

Deciding to retreat in hopes to maintain dignity.

My heart makes an appearance and demands a debate.

He stands accused of a deeper wound than any previous pain.

The heart bends the knee in order to beg for a final chance,

If logic joins in this valiant venture, the heart may face a clouted blow.

This voice of reason views the woman as uncaring and unreceptive to the approach.

Her use of time and money spent on another making us the sucker.

The voice stands against the heart in the virtuous trial.

Love calls time to the stand in hopes for a plea bargain.

If love and the heart utilize their lawyer, patience, they may secure more time.

The heart, time, and patience stand against logic, a voice of reason, and argumentation.

The left stands against the right combatting through a battle of wits and emotions.

Their sole being has a say in the ongoing matter as he approaches the stand.

He recalls Saturday nights, treacherous tears stuck reminiscing in unending intimacy.

A decision has been made.

The jury attempts to announce their deliberations.

The six stand for a ruling,

One which inspires hopeful prudence.

© Gaston King, all rights reserved.
A Powerful Tip For Making Better Decisions — Perception Academy
By: Jason Schneider
Tags: Neuro Semantics, Neuro Linguistic Program, Neurolinguistics, Decision Making, NLP

Would you like to become a better decision maker? If yes, you’re really going to enjoy this quick tip I learned to step out of any fear, fatigue or stress and gain a larger perspective.

I learned this from Michael Hall, Ph.D. who took this from the book Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life & Work, who borrowed this from Suzy Welch and with the amount of how many times this is being passed around by respectable people you can imagine how valuable this tool with be for you in terms of your decision making.

This tip is called the 10–10–10 rule which consists of 3 simple questions you can ask yourself to get some perspective on a decision.

The three questions are:

How will I feel about this decision in 10 minutes

How will I feel about this decision in 10 months

How will I feel about this decision in 10 years?

As soon as I learned about this process I applied it to a couple of decisions I had made in the past that I had made and explored how this would have made a difference as well as a big decision I was facing in the moment and learned a lot.

When you ask yourself these questions you might realize that for certain decisions you might feel really good about it in the short term, but in the long term it’s probably not the best decision.

On the other hand you may realize that if I make this decision it may be difficult for 10 minutes or 10 months but in 10 years its really going to be worth it.

One of the problems that we have as human beings when making decisions is that we operate by only short term thinking or we may not be in the best state to make a decision and by asking yourself these three simple questions you can gain some perspective and make a more thorough and well thought out choice for yourself.

I hope you found this tip as valuable as I have and I encourage you to try it out right now:

Think about a decision you have made in the past or a decision you are currently facing in your life and run it thought this 10–10–10 process. How does this/would this impact your decision? What value did you get out of this process? Let us know in the comments!

Originally published at https://perceptionacademy.com.
2 Questions to Ask When Making Hard Decisions
By: Jerine Nicole
Tags: Life Lessons, Personal Development, Life Hacking, Decision Making, Personal Growth

2 Questions to Ask When Making Hard Decisions

Photo by Noah Buscher

Being indecisive

I’ve always been an indecisive person. I could never pick from what color of the same shirt to buy or what job to take. One of them is more problematic than the other.

It would take me a very long time to choose, hoping that it was the “right” decision when I finally make one. When I do make a decision, doubts come rushing in, wondering if I made the right call. Again, it’s problematic.

I’ve been trying to change that lately. I encounter decision-making so often that I hate how much energy it takes up.

A few months ago, I started a second part-time job in another Emergency Department. I had an appreciation of technology in healthcare, so I wanted to be a part of the very first smart hospital in Toronto. And I wanted to leave my current job because of some issues.

I did my very best to compare the two hospitals to decide right away which job to pick during my 3-week orientation. I juggled between two stressful jobs in that time frame.

There were pros and cons to each decision. I was using my logical mind to decide, and I just couldn’t figure it out. I asked the people around me, and they all had their own opinions.

I finally found a way that works for me. I used to take days to make hard decisions, but now it’s less, maybe a few hours.

After a couple of coaching programs, this is what I learned:

I already know everything that I want.

Deep inside.

And so do you.
One tip to ease your decision fatigue
By: Cari Nazeer
Tags: Decision Making, Advice, Self

✅ Today’s tip: Divide up the mental load for Covid decision-making.

This past year was, among many things, a year of decision fatigue. “Every single day for nearly a year now, you’ve had to make decisions that affect the health of you and your family,” writes Anirudh Kedia. “Should I go home now that the park is getting crowded? Should I run into the store or do curbside pickup?” It’s a lot. It’s exhausting. And it’s piled on top of all the other non-Covid decisions you already have to make each day just to keep life running.

Kedia’s recommendation: Split up the mental load within your household. “Have one person be in charge of deciding what to eat that week, while the other can plan some socially distanced activities,” he writes. The more you can share the burden, the less fatigued you’ll be.
Making A Decision
By: Lilly Polivoda
Tags: Decision Making, Decisions

When you’re looking for peace, you have to let go of chaos.

Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you ask yourself, how did I attract these conditions around me? It’s an important measure of where you’re at and how your life is progressing.

Relearning the same lessons can feel painful because it can feel like you’re starting over. It feels like you wasted time or like you made a mistake. Each experience is different and teaches us something new. Are we relearning the lesson or are we repeating the lesson in a different scenario? Is there something more to learn? Are there different levels of lessons?

You have to choose what you want and move toward that.

You have to make a decision.
When Life Winks
By: Geoff Lane
Tags: Life, Life Lessons, Inspiration, Decision Making, Adventure

Should you follow it?

Happy Saturday everyone. Knees weak, palms are heavy, there’s vomit on his spaghetti already…yeah rapping’s not my thing. But when I wrote the subtitle of this post I was reminded of Eminem’s opening lines to his song Lose Yourself.

Anyways, if you’re scratching your head wondering what the heck a life wink is, they’re coincidences, plain and simple. But sometimes coincidences are taken to another level. The ones that make you think Whoa. That was TOO weird.

Those are life winks. Do they have meaning? Who the hell knows, but I choose to believe they do. Some people think that’s bull, but I think moments like those are an opportunity to tune into what life might be trying to tell you in that moment.

Full disclosure, this post was inspired by a book called when GOD winks by SQuire Rushnell — and no that’s not a typo, the Q in his name is actually capitalized. Don’t let the title fool you or turn you off, this is not a book on religion as I originally thought it was. I only gave it a chance because it was gifted to me by a friend. And I’m really glad I did because I think the subtitle better reflects what the book is all about: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life.

It’s hard to not sound like I’m going all fairy dust on you here, but I’ve always felt like I was pretty good at listening to life in those little moments — choosing a major, moving away to another state, people I’ve met — things like that. I mean, what’s the worst thing that can happen anyways? Even if you run into issues, it’ll make for a hell of a story later on.

So, I’m not writing this post to tell you what you should do in life’s peculiar moments, just what I do. I follow these little whispers and see where it takes me.

Could I come to regret that decision later on? Oh definitely. Always a possibility. But an unlikely one in my opinion because if you’re the type to take action on a whim you’re also probably the type to treat the repercussions as an adventure.

When life gives you pause, ask yourself why and then say what the hell. Usually we regret inaction more than action anyways. Take a moment to tally up the number of things you regret not doing compared to the number of things you regret doing. I think you’ll find the former is larger than the latter.

Do your future self a favor and start to make the latter larger than the former. Alright, enough with the cryptic language. Enjoy the rest of your day peeps.
We Don’t All Have 24 Hours in a Day
By: Mike Vardy
Tags: Time Management, Productivity, Decision Making, Attention, Intentions

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

There are 24 hours in a day. Sort of.

That means we all have 24 hours in a day. Sort of.

You see, even though we all have the same amount of time in a day there are a variety of factors that can affect what our days look like.

Some of us are parents, which means we give some of those 24 hours to our kids. And those hours aren’t always actively happening — sometimes they are happening behind the scenes. That means we don’t have all of those 24 hours.

Some of us don’t have as much help as others — such as assistance and family close by — meaning that we have to do more of the things that we would otherwise delegate to someone else. That takes another chunk of our 24 hours away.

Some of us have to work more than one job to make ends meet. And that means we have more time commuting and doing things we wouldn’t necessarily do otherwise. That also takes away some of those 24 hours in a day.

So while mathematically we all have 24 hours in a day, anecdotally we don’t.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to claim some of those hours back. It also doesn’t mean that those that do have more hours than others shouldn’t be investing them as wisely as possible. It’s very easy to lose some of those hours then to find them and reclaim them.

If you don’t have any of those exceptions that I mentioned above, make sure that you’re investing your 24 hours wisely. After all, if you plan to have kids or your financial situation changes, you’ll be better prepared if you start investing that time now.

If you do have some of those exceptions that I mentioned above, then what I’m about to suggest it’s going to sound counterintuitive. I believe you need to take some of the time that you do have and figure out how to reclaim some of the time that you don’t.

That means optimizing your hours, figuring out where you can offload some of the things you need help with. It may also mean that you need to take a step back and figure out how to save a little bit more money so that you don’t have to spend more time working. It means taking some of that time that you do have and investing it and some planning and preparation — two things that are similar in nature but aren’t exactly the same.

Making the most of the 24 hours in a day is an ongoing matter. It’s also not an easy thing to do. But setting aside some of the time that you do have in the day to make it happen is worth it.
I think, Therefore, I Make Great Decisions…
Tags: Decision Making, Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Cognition

Photo by Paola Aguilar on Unsplash

Out of the 35,000 decisions we make in a day, about 98% of them come from our System 1 thinking. System 1 is where we make decisions with ease using our automated and fast thinking brain functions.

One of the ways System 1 gets its information, is from something that is called the ‘Cognitive Triangle’.

The ‘Cognitive Triangle’ works by turning our thoughts into actions or behaviours.

The process looks like this -

What you think affects the way that you feel, which in turn affects the way you decide to act or behave. So by thinking negative thoughts all day, you’ll likely feel lousy and act accordingly. But if you think positively, the opposite is true.

This can be extremely powerful in helping with our decision-making.

One of the ways then, that we can influence this process is to control the inputs to our thinking. This can be done by becoming more conscious of the type of information that’s within your environment. What you are exposing yourself to!

You know the proverb “ As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. “ (Proverbs 27:17) Well, if the company you keep dulls your blade instead of sharpening it, then its time to start talking with some other people.

And if you watch junk TV all day and then only read the celebrity tabloids, don’t be too surprised if your thought process amounts to no more than day-dreaming about all the things you’d do if you were successful.

The sources of the inputs are our sensory receptors — eyes, ears, mouth (skin/fingers and nose being the other two).

We can control the inputs by controlling what we expose our eyes and ears to, and what comes out of our mouths.

Therefore, by putting more good inputs in than bad, we stand a much better chance of making a better decision.
How to take a decision in a very tough situation ?
By: Gaurav Ochani
Tags: Life, Decision Tree, Lifehacks, Decision Making, Decisions

Hi Guys!

Are we really conscious about our decision making skills ? In today’s time, decision making is very important to achieve what we desire for. One wrong decision and life becomes uncomfortable and that’s how data science and other technologies are contributing enough for our right decision making. Today, I will share some secret on how to take a decision.

Steps:

Evaluate your situation:

It is important that you evaluate your situation on the basis of a thought which can describe the ill-effect it brings if incase your decision go wrong. Now if it is simple and clear to you about what is right or wrong, true or false or any Boolean values, just take the correct decision without wasting much of your time and I call this as a “known” decision. Let’s understand what is tough situation. When you want to decide between right and right OR more right and more right OR wrong and wrong OR more wrong and more wrong then that’s a tough decision making situation.

2. Gather Information:

It is utter important that we spend time to gather lot of information about all the options out of which we need to take a decision. Reach out to books, internet or subject matter experts which can provide some metadata to drive analytics.

3. Define your GOAL-Favorable kit:

So far we have evaluated our situations and gathered information. Now most of us struggle understanding the right tool which can help to take decision and most of the time we take decision on the basis of our happiness. For example, if you want to choose between sex or a glass of wine so what will you choose ? We generally take decisions based on our emotions or sentiments. Having emotions and being emotional is different and having sentiments and being sentimental is different. Now for all the tough situation, there is only one tool and I call it — GOAL-Favorable kit. Let’s understand how it works.

As part of GOAL-Favorable kit, we should unfold our goal or vision about what we want and then once it is clear then we can see what is favorable for your goal or vision. So all those things which is more favorable or better contributor in our goal or vision is a right decision for us and NOT the one which is on the basis of our happiness !
Decision-making Hack: Always Bet Against the “Experts”
By: Iulian Circo
Tags: Innovation, Life Hacking, Decision Making, Bitcoin, Expertise

Experts: bias for the status quo.

Every innovation that had a lasting impact on the world has been in a form or another a direct and fundamental challange to the status quo.

Also, before any innovation can reveal its actual impact on the world, there is a point when people get exposed to it and start wondering what it is and how to make sense of it.

In moments like this, people tend to turn to “experts”.

Not surpisingly, these “experts” ARE the status quo and, by extension, are directly threathened by the said innovation.

Because of that, they will take a conservative position and will usually point out all the ways in which said innovation will fail. They will look and act confident and will sometimes expose detailed theories and point to charts.

I am pretty sure the guy with the wheel was laughed out of his cave by the tribe’s experts in moving things by brute force. I haven’t checked, but I am ready to take bets that when the printing press was invented, the day’s “experts” explained how it all was useless since the unwashed, illiterate masses don’t have much use in reading, nor much to read anyway.

Relevant: Underlying Trends > Great Products

And so it has been, always.

The early days of the internet had their share of experts explaining all the ways in which a world-wide computer network is useless. People like this guy.

To benefit early, you have to act quickly

Which brings me to my point. Like most people with an interest in the world, I get exposed to new ideas and innovation every day. As much as I would like to, is is really impossible to dive deeply into every new idea that I come across. So I need some sort of shortcut to decision-making, that will help me act fast and move on.

I have tried to follow “influencers” but I learned quickly that is a realy bad heuristic. I tried to refer back to some “fundamentals” but I learned quickly that “fundamentals” are relative.

Eventually I settled on a hack that has so far never failed me. It will surprise you by its simplicity:

I learned that the most useful framework for decision-making when it comes to innovation is to listen to “experts” and do exactly the opposite of what they are saying.

Double down on this every time the expert is a dude past his 60s wearing a suit and being interviewed on TV.

Will this work every time? No. But i can guarantee it will work more often than it will fail.

I am writing this on a day when Bitcoin’s price in US Dollar is at the all time high of $22,800. To celebrate, here is a short video of experts in suits over the last 3 ytears explaining why Bitcoin will fail:
Decisions, decisions…
By: Charlotte Allison
Tags: Choices, Life Lessons, Decision Making, Personal Growth, Decisions

Decisions, decisions…

Do you have a hard time making decisions?

What happens when you must choose between two or more options?

Do you put off making decisions because you are afraid you will make the ‘wrong’ choice?

There is nothing to worry about. There is no wrong path or choice.

You will just have different experiences on whatever path you choose to follow. And remember, you can always change course at any time.

Know that you will learn valuable life lessons along whatever path you choose.

Nothing is ever a waste of time; even if you think it was. Because that ‘wasted’ time taught you many valuable life lessons.
hidden
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

is your company irresponsible if they don’t have the technical people in place to do the work?
A Thought Exercise to Guide You Through a Really Hard Choice
By: Ashley Abramson
Tags: Self, Decision Making, Self Improvement, Decisions, Thought Exercises

A Thought Exercise to Guide You Through a Really Hard Choice

Photo: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

In three weeks, my husband, kids, and I are relocating from Minnesota to my home state of Wisconsin. It’s a decision that didn’t come easily. We’ll be uprooting lives we liked for new ones full of unknowns. Moving is draining, especially during a pandemic. And expensive.

For many of us, the past year of Covid has been a clarifying time, highlighting our personal values and forcing a more honest consideration of our priorities. In some cases, that clarity can make big decisions feel easier and more urgent — but on the other hand, the constant risk assessment of living through a pandemic can also cause major decision fatigue. So one particularly stressed-out night, when it was clear that Present Day Ashley wouldn’t be much help in working out the pros and cons of this major life choice, I turned to the two people I often call on to guide me through tricky moments.

The first was my six-year-old self — a kid who, before the responsibilities of adulthood crept in, used to love the adventure of trying new things. The second was myself at 90. Decades from now, I wondered, would Future Ashley regret not living closer to my family? I knew the answer was yes.

These mental leaps through time can be a valuable decision-making exercise, explains the Chicago-based therapist Abby Gagerman, helping people regain perspective and, consequently, find much-needed clarity that’s eluded them. Little kids and older adults have one thing in common: They both have a clearer view of what matters.

Think back to first or second grade. What were your top priorities? Probably whoever made you feel loved and whatever you loved to do. Somewhere along the way, you started doing less of what you wanted and more of what you were supposed to: going to college, getting a job, buying a house. Sure, part of that is just gaining maturity and obligations, but it’s also too easy to stop making room for the things that, quite simply, have always made you happy — until the clock starts to run out, and you begin to realize what you’ve been missing. “When you’re older, nothing else matters except for those things that were originally important to you,” Gagerman says.

Next time you find yourself wrestling with what to do, lay out the options and bring each scenario to the past and future. Would you as a kid jump for joy or throw a tantrum when you break the news? Would your gray-haired self feel pride or regret about whatever decision you’re weighing?

Moving forward with a big, life-altering decision is always going to feel at least a little uncomfortable. But while these imagined versions of yourself can’t make your decisions for you, they can remind you what personality traits or aspirations you’ve let go of, and give you a birds-eye view on your core values.
Is your gut feeling good enough?
By: Chirantan Joshi
Tags: Information, Organization, Analysis, Decision Making, Decisions

Often when I am faced with a decision paralysis caused by loads and loads of data or when I have no reliable information to take a call, I rely on my guts. The question, is your gut feeling good enough, can only be answered if we keep a tab on the outcome of decisions taken on gut feelings vis-a-vis decisions based on hard facts.

On trying to research whether others have the same dilemma, I chanced upon the article in HBR by Laura Huang who is an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. She is the author of the upcoming book Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage. She has conducted 4 such studies to determine if gut-based decision are intuitive or a subconscious decision based on years of real experience and knowledge.

In these studies she observed hundreds of angel investors and venture capitalists as they considered capital allocation decisions, tracking the extent to which they considered economic, financial, “hard” data, and the extent to which they relied on signals and subtle cues that were based on intuitive, “non-codified” information.

Laura Huang tracked 90 of the companies that investors were considering investing in over time and was able to see several years later whether the investors’ gut feel was predictive of which companies were most successful. What she learned from this study is that those who made more successful decisions based on their gut feel do the following:

Recognize that their gut feel is not a separate piece of information but it draws on both objective and subjective information that is already available.

Understand that gut feel is not quick, impulsive, and emotional — it’s actually something much more cultivated and nuanced and based on experience.

Commit to continually cultivating their gut feel, by paying attention to exemplars, prototypes, patterns, and models in their field and linking what they learn to future decisions.

The next time I take a decision based on pure gut, I am now assured that it is not really a wild act, but it is founded on my own experiences and knowledge. It may appear to be action taken at the spur of the moment, but research supports that there is real thought behind it.

Guys, go ahead trust your guts. I would love to hear your comments. Do you have a gut feel? Have you checked if your intuition proved to be right?
Don’t Panic
By: Patricia Rosa
Tags: Relationships, Life, Work Life Balance, Productivity, Decision Making

On my way to work, we had a mild snowfall. It didn’t look like much, but I found out the road was slicker than it looked. I tapped the brakes, but kept sliding. I tapped them some more and realized, I wasn’t going to stop.

In a split second I decided hitting one car would be better than rear-ending four, so I veered into the right turn lane and anticipated the crash. Just then, the car ahead of me continued on and made a right turn.

This is true in life. Don’t panic, don’t make any sudden moves. If you stay calm you can determine the next best move. When faced with a dilemma, make a calculated decision. The impact of your decision might turn out better than you anticipated.

You just might avoid a big accident, and feel good about your decision-making skills after all.
Happiness is a Choice.
By: Mk Galletto
Tags: Decision Making, Motivation, Change

Simple and mostly easier said than done. I’m sure at some point or time in your life you’ve heard the phrase perspective is reality. It’s easy to argue the truthfulness of the simple statement. If you change the way you receive and interpret messages you will begin to see your perspective change, followed by the way you project the messages you put out there for others to receive and interpret.

I hear it all the time I’m even guilty of doing it, telling someone “you make me happy” or stating how your happiness is directly related to a possession, a place, and any other than it being a personal choice is not correct. No one can make you happy, its a choice. Sometimes things happen that can cause the feeling of happiness, but it’s not sustainable to rely on things to make us happy. Sometimes circumstances can add up and cause us to focus on all of the negatives surrounding us instead of looking at, being grateful for, and appreciating the positives.

It’s easy to pick apart and identify the things in your life that are weighing you down. It’s not easy to change them, find solutions, and even more difficult to accept the things you cannot change. I think it’s important to identify when something is out of our control and let it go. It makes identifying and taking control of the things we can much more simple.

So, make YOUR choice and CHOOSE happiness. Keep this simple phrase in mind. Write it down, post it somewhere you can see it everyday. Pass it on to friends and strangers.
Freedom — Where does it really lie?
By: David Meyer
Tags: Choices, Office Jobs, Decision Making, Military, Careers

As I consider military service, I’ve asked myself: “Does joining the military mean that I am less free?”

In comparing this to office jobs, the answer is solidly no.

It is well known that in the military you cannot speak out — you are a number and there to fulfill your role. Office jobs have the same implied culture. The contradicting message of employee empowerment can conceal this fact.

Photo by Gabby K from Pexels

Employees are paid to carry out specific tasks linked to revenue generation. If an employee were to express themselves in any way that contradicts this goal — they’re out. The office is simply a softer form of the military structure.

Entrepreneurship however is more free than the military structure. You are your own boss — by definition you are free…and inevitably recreate the military structure from the top down. This isn’t out of malevolence but simply the way the market works. You must satisfy your clients to stay in business, revenue being the main indicator. Profit is just as important, indicating how the expenses stack up(employees). Adhering to both of these numbers is exactly what the large corporations do, thus creating the office (military) environment for others. This situation for you, the entrepreneur, will continue so long as your luck, the market, your client base, and your employee retention all remain constant.

So it seems the only form of freedom is wealth. Wealth in the form of currency, ownership of businesses, ownership of real-estate, ownership of skills, ownership of networks, or anything else that can result in a transaction is true freedom. To optimize ones life for freedom is to optimize ones life for wealth.

Photo by Diego González on Unsplash

“Does joining the military mean I’m less free?”

No. It means I’ve chosen to further the Department of Defense’s goals by aligning my time with them. In exchange for carrying out their directives, I will receive pay, housing, access to new networks, training in new skills, and an education in military culture.

The costs when compared to a typically office job are: basic comforts of city lifestyle, easy access to old networks, and the perception of having choice & individuality.

More on the illusion of choice later….
reverse work
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

are you making the simple stuff so hard that you don’t have time for the hard stuff?
How to Make Better Decisions a Habit
Tags: Psychology, Self-awareness, Decision Making, Reading, Self Improvement

Hey Cinto, let’s go and pickup some food. I want you to drive

Shouted Jay.

We were at Jay’s place to celebrate his birthday. All of us were bachelors and these parties usually comprised of a lot of cigarettes and drinks. We customarily meet at Jay’s place since he lives alone and does not have any boring roommates, which in our language meant folks “who do not drink”.

Now, I am usually a big advocate of not driving under influence. But seeing so many folks look at me eagerly for an answer, I could not say no. Also, I did not want to look like a boring nerd. So, I said Yes. I assumed it would be OK.

It was not. It was late at night, and pretty dark outside. Trying to enter the freeway, I tried looking left to check for oncoming vehicles. But I could not see a thing. My severely impaired brain was not helping me either. I kept on looking left, without noticing that my car had deviated from the lane and was about to hit the right concrete barrier. Suddenly my friend sitting in the front seat shouted,

“Cinto !! Watch where you are going, man”.

I was just about to hit the concrete wall of the freeway. I steadied the car, took the next exit, and instantly came back home.

We all came back OK and alive, but anything could have happened that night.

I still imagine what could have happened if I was a couple of seconds late to steady the car, or if Dev had not shouted at the right time.

I made a very poor decision that day. Although Jay made the initial suggestion, I had control over what I choose, how I respond to a stimulus.

And, I promised myself never to do that again.

After spending a long time thinking about what I did and reading tons of books on decision making and healthy habits, I realized and concluded that decision making is a skill. It needs a lot of practice. We make decisions every day, every moment that we are alive, and we have the power to make better decisions. We just need to train our brains to do that.
Here are 4 things you need to do for a spacious life
By: Frances Lennon
Tags: Time Management, Life, Cleaning, Decision Making, Self Improvement

There are times in our lives when we all get narrow. we feel the same and monotonous every day. In this article, I have collected the small things that you can apply every day but will have big effects on your mood under 5 headings.

1. Be Punctual

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

The number one rule is timing. time is one of the few things that we can not change. Even if we cannot change it, we can manage it. Being successful in time management takes you one step further everywhere, from implementing your plans to making your dreams come true. and also arriving at the meeting point on time shows your respect for the other person.

To manage your time more effectively:

2. Cleanroom, Clean Mind

Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

Cleaning is an action that requires continuity in daily life. It may look tiring but definitely refreshing when you do it. Instead of devoting one day of the week to cleaning, make small attempts every day of the week, such as tidying around, so there is less room to gather the next day. So you can focus on your work with the happiness of fulfilling your duty and feel the lightness of cleaning every day.

3. Take Care Of Your Clothes

Photo by Angela Bailey on Unsplash

At first sight, we all notice external appearance.

a person’s clothes show the self-care. Also, having a style makes you strong and increases your self-confidence. Wear clothes that express your spirit and maintain your upright posture. But taking care of your clothes doesn’t require you to be addicted to fashion.

4. Implement Your Decisions

Photo by Jens Lelie on Unsplash

We direct our lives and our decisions guide us. Determine the path you need to follow to reach your goal. What kind of life would you like to live? Change starts with decisions but ends with determination. Use your determination and willpower for the person you want to be.

See you for the next post!
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Tags: Vision, CEO, Leadership, Company Culture, Decision Making

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A Memorable Train Journey in India
By: Paul Abela
Tags: Life Lessons, Problem Solving, Travel, Decision Making, Adventure

Having volunteered in a remote part of India for the last month, I was looking forward to getting back to civilisation. The train from Manvi, a town in the southern state of Karnataka, to Bangalore, the bustling state capital was due to take 10 hours. The all-night sleeper train we were taking meant I was hoping for a peaceful nights rest before arriving back in the city.

Taking a train in India is an experience in itself. As we entered the station in Manvi, there was a hive of activity. Everywhere you looked, someone was doing something. In one area people were having their shoes shined; others were sipping on tea as they read newspapers, more still were snacking on Indian sweets. The less fortunate were walking around, begging for money.

I had spent the last month helping to build a school with 20 others. A combination of lots of manual labour and eating very little had left us all looking a little decrepit. While the buzz of activity in the station was a sight to behold, I was just keen to get on the train.

On the platform, a sea of people was waiting expectantly for the train. With each minute that ticked by the crowd’s impatience grew. Tetchy feet tapped, eyes kept darting to the left, and those at the back tried squeezing to the front. All in the hope of getting on the train first, and landing the best seats.

And then the faint sound of an oncoming train reverberated through the tracks.

As the train blew past us, the moment of opportunity drew closer. Like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey, people started jostling for the best spots. And once it squeaked to a halt, the crowd sprung into life. Men and women pushed, pulled, and very nearly came to blows, shoving their fists and elbows into each other’s sides and faces.

Fortunately, our group didn’t have to partake in the melee as we had pre-ordered sleeper booths on the train. That’s not to say there weren’t still a few bumps as we clambered on. I couldn’t understand it, everyone on our carriage had a ticket, and yet an infectious desire to get on the train as quickly as possible had overwhelmed the crowd.

In the chaos, it was easy to get lost in the moment, and I found myself pushing and pulling whichever way in an attempt to get to the carriage as quickly as possible.
If something makes you feel uncomfortable it’s not right for you.
By: Rejoice Denhere
Tags: Decision Making, Self-awareness

If something makes you feel uncomfortable it’s not right for you.

Image by Free-Photos on Pixabay

It’s one thing to challenge yourself or explore new territories, it’s another to take uncalculated risks.

Feeling discomfort is normal but may also be a warning sign. Heed it by assessing the situation first.

If the opportunity violates your values and principles stay away. What’s good for one person will not necessarily be good for you.

If you are feeling fearful about something confront your ignorance first. Undertake research, consult experts on the topic, opportunity or person before you commit.

Ignorance is not bliss.
Tomorrow
By: Mike Vardy
Tags: Time Management, Prioritization, Decision Making, Attention, Intentions

There’s always some form of anticipation surrounding tomorrow.

Sometimes it shows up in the form of excitement. Sometimes it shows up in the form of anxiety.

But it’s always there.

Even when we read and hear (and perhaps even know) that the best thing for us to do in any given moment is to give our attention to that moment, tomorrow beckons.

Tomorrow I won’t have any more episodes of The West Wing to watch. I binged the entire series — all seven seasons — in the span of a shorter timespan than most sensible people would have done.

I just finished watching the final episode of the series before sending this your way. Fittingly, the episode’s title is “Tomorrow.”

The last lines of the episode feature a conversation between President Jed Bartlet and his wife, Abigail. As he gazes out of the window of the airplane taking them to their new home — and new lives — she asks him what he’s thinking about.

His reply? “Tomorrow.”

Make no mistake, tomorrow matters.

But right now today matters more.

Think about that as you go through the rest of today. I hope you make it a good one.
product development question 0
Tags: Risk Taking, Risk, Product Development, Decision Making

questions to think and act upon when developing reliable and safe medical devices and products
The 1 Lesson We Should Take from This Year’s Annual Review
By: Darren Matthews
Tags: Review, Leadership, Life Lessons, Thinking, Decision Making

Dam…it’s nearly Christmas and amongst the many traditions of the year, I’ll be doing my own annual review. Yep, for the last three years, I’ve dismissed new year’s resolutions in favour of a more reflective assessment of the year gone by. I try to objectively reflect on the past year, compare where I am to where I wanted to be, and seize upon any lessons I can take to make me a better person in the year ahead.

The annual review builds upon my goal to become a better person. So, I look to answer the following questions…

What were my goals?

Did I achieve them?

If not, why not?

What could I have done better?

What would have helped?

If I did, why?

As I’ve begun to reflect on what has happened, I realise my 2020 review is going to be unique. Not only will my annual review hold the drama of COVID-19, so will everyone else’s. We have faced a global pandemic, one which has taken the lives of many people but also turned the way we live on its head. I — and probably you — have had to cope with lockdowns, face masks, social distancing, possibly even illness and loss — all of which have disrupted my life and others.
The gap between education and the industry in Pakistan
By: Awab Ali
Tags: Pakistan, Computer Science, Internships, Education

Pakistan a country with a high-power distance culture with a population exceeding 212.2 million. The second-largest Muslim country in the world in which one of the biggest problems is unemployment. One of the main reasons for this problem is the gap between education and the industry in Pakistan. Thousands of young graduates are not able to pursue their career in their relevant domain because of the knowledge gap between education and industry.

One of the main reasons for this gap is that we as young graduates are unaware of the latest technologies and tools their functionalities. We have been taught with the same syllabus issued by the Higher Commission of Pakistan in the past decades till the date. We are not aware of Hi-Tech technologies and the courses teach across the globe.

The only strategy of our educational system is still the same (Ratta and Slide system) because of which a lot of young graduates are still unemployed. Only some of the successful individuals who are working and running their own ventures are those who are self-taught or have been graduated from International Universities.

As a Computer Science graduate, I have also gone through this. The only way to fill this gap or to make a bridge between this is to create a platform where we can learn from industry experts where we can learn about the scope of the et or have an active Internship opportunity to pursue our career in our relevant domain.
C-19- 5 Tips for PR Interns
By: Sanika Newaskar
Tags: Pr, Internship Tips, Public Relations, Internships

Do you know the feeling when your summer vacation is about to end and your school is about to start? Well, those jitters are typically experienced again, when one undertakes an internships as part of the college curriculum. To top it off, current graduates have to go through this experience in the middle of a pandemic, where all physical interactions are severed. While it is tough to seek the same experience from behind a screen, it is not entirely impossible! In fact, Internships are a good way to utilise this time.

I am a novice in the world of Public Relations, but on the basis of my various interactions in PR School, I have formulated a few tips for interns like me in Public Relations, or any Communications field for that matter.

1. Be a fly on the wall

Being a fly on the wall doesn’t mean being a passive spectator, but being an active listener. One must be perceptive and attentive at all times, during all discussions and absorb as much as we can. Make the full use of internships, by not just finishing the assigned tasks, but also by walking the extra mile to understand the thought process behind each task.

2. Ask, Ask and Ask

A lot many times interns hesitate in clearing their doubts while receiving instructions and end up producing half-baked work. If you feel there is a pertinent question left unanswered, then go ahead and ask immediately. Asking questions shows how involved you are in the work. Also, good questions do arise only when you listen carefully! It goes without saying, but don’t ask redundant questions just for the sake of it!

3. Watch Like a Hawk

This tip is specific to the interns working in PR, but can be contextualised for all. Research about the firm, your client, your sector, recent publications and past projects thoroughly. In the business of communications it is very crucial to be as alert as a hawk and stay updated about all happenings in your arena. One may not always get to work on the sector of their choice. But it is the beauty of learning from new experiences that keeps this profession alive.

4. Prepare a Check List

As soon as you are given assignments of the day or week, do list them down in order of priority and time constraint. Listing task and ticking them off helps in the organisation of work. Get this checklist reviewed by a supervisor to ensure you have not missed out on a task. Also, do update your supervisors about your completed assignments at the end of the week, and seek feedback.

5. Build a strong Network

A lot of interns make the mistake of treating their internship a bit too casually. Give the internship as much importance as you would give to a permanent job. Talk to people, build connections. During COVID times, it is tough to interact with all the employees, but don’t forget, we are the natives of the digital age. Connect with all your co-workers on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Keep your social media accounts active and clean. Take the initiative to start conversations with people. The connections you build now, will go a long way in your life.
Winter Training Program
Tags: Winter Training, Internships

DigitaLearn is dedicated to promoting learning with the winter training program in India!!

DigitaLearn is your best destination to join the interactive winter training in Lucknow. We are one of the best IT and Digital Marketing Training Academy in Lucknow, working with 50+ professionals.

Technical and non-technical graduates with a basic knowledge of Computer Science and Information Technology search for winter training programs to enhance their holidays.

DigitaLearn provides the best opportunities for students to get winter training and learn advanced technologies and skills. We offer best-in-class winter training programs on the latest tools, technologies, and tactics. Our winter sessions usually begin by the starting and mid of December, and the longest course lasts up to June.

We have a team of apropos experienced IT professionals who have the best training methodology to make us one of Lucknow’s best winter training company.

DigitaLearn also focuses on freshers who have completed their diploma to make them aware of the IT sector demands in order to make them professionally trained candidates.

DigitaLearn gives winter training by using distinctive features under the supervision of our mentors. We provide training on live projects also to help trainees get the right skills.