Comments on: Just say no: the art of making decisions http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/ As seen through my eyes... Spreadshirt, creative apparel, being a CEO, and life Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:30:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Ben Hyde http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8606 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:10:43 +0000 http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8606 Decide to say no to sleep? Decide to say no to sleep?

]]> by: Jana http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8425 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:17:48 +0000 http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8425 WOW, Jenny, Amie, Julian, and Lindsay... what great comments. Thank you for adding them. Lindsay, your point about having a mentor is a terrific one. It is much easier to understand the "how" with clear examples. Julian, you are right... the world changes, whether we do or not. We need to realize that making decisions puts us in control. Amie, I had not thought of the point about decisions being easy but executing them being hard. I'm going to have to pay more attention, as perhaps sometimes I think decisions aren't made, and it is really that they aren't implemented. Jenny, ahhhhh... minimum, specific... similar to minimum viable! :-) I agree... there is more anxiety with decisions when others are involved. Again, thanks for all of your thoughts! WOW, Jenny, Amie, Julian, and Lindsay… what great comments. Thank you for adding them.

Lindsay, your point about having a mentor is a terrific one. It is much easier to understand the “how” with clear examples.

Julian, you are right… the world changes, whether we do or not. We need to realize that making decisions puts us in control.

Amie, I had not thought of the point about decisions being easy but executing them being hard. I’m going to have to pay more attention, as perhaps sometimes I think decisions aren’t made, and it is really that they aren’t implemented.

Jenny, ahhhhh… minimum, specific… similar to minimum viable! :-) I agree… there is more anxiety with decisions when others are involved.

Again, thanks for all of your thoughts!

]]> by: Jenny http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8387 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:18:46 +0000 http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8387 When I need to make a decision, I ask myself if I have enough information -- if it's moderate to high risk. (Taking a new job is a big decision, trying a new restaurant is not.) If don't think I have enough information, I ask myself what the specific, minimum things I need to know that I don't know are and get those answers. Minimum and specific is important here: that is how I avoid the paradox of choice and making myself miserable. I think I'm consistent with with this approach across my work and home life. The decisions I struggle with most are ones that have high impact on other people. When I think about it though, those are all about my anticipating dealing with the impact afterward, not in making the "right" choice. I generally know what the right choice is for me, though I'm sometimes less certain about living with the consequences. I don't think of decisions as cutting off options, but in being sure (or at least comfortable enough) with the path I'm on. When I need to make a decision, I ask myself if I have enough information — if it’s moderate to high risk. (Taking a new job is a big decision, trying a new restaurant is not.) If don’t think I have enough information, I ask myself what the specific, minimum things I need to know that I don’t know are and get those answers. Minimum and specific is important here: that is how I avoid the paradox of choice and making myself miserable. I think I’m consistent with with this approach across my work and home life.

The decisions I struggle with most are ones that have high impact on other people. When I think about it though, those are all about my anticipating dealing with the impact afterward, not in making the “right” choice. I generally know what the right choice is for me, though I’m sometimes less certain about living with the consequences. I don’t think of decisions as cutting off options, but in being sure (or at least comfortable enough) with the path I’m on.

]]> by: Amie Gillingham http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8227 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:21:23 +0000 http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8227 There you are! I was actually just thinking about you in a reponse I posted on WWD about the potential pitfalls of being one's own boss and where does one go to make up for the lack of a boss to fulfill some key roles such as outside perspective, challenging ideas, etc. You've definitely been an inspiration to me! Regarding decision-making, I personally think decisions are easy. But the follow-through is often hard. Decisions often feel like such an accomplishment it's easy to rest on those laurels and then...nothing happens, the circumstances change, and you have to decide all over again. Then again, maybe that inertia is also a part of the fear of change? There you are! I was actually just thinking about you in a reponse I posted on WWD about the potential pitfalls of being one’s own boss and where does one go to make up for the lack of a boss to fulfill some key roles such as outside perspective, challenging ideas, etc. You’ve definitely been an inspiration to me!

Regarding decision-making, I personally think decisions are easy. But the follow-through is often hard. Decisions often feel like such an accomplishment it’s easy to rest on those laurels and then…nothing happens, the circumstances change, and you have to decide all over again. Then again, maybe that inertia is also a part of the fear of change?

]]> by: Julian http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8213 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:48:14 +0000 http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8213 "De-cidere / to cut off" is really true. Once you made the decision you can hardly get back to your old status. People who are not able to make decisions have a problem with changing things. As far as I know the world changes everyday and we are not able to stop that changing. This might be one of the biggest truths about our life here on earth. When we make decisions, we are able to change the world / the business or our own life how we want. If we did not others would decide for us and we would be no longer free. Decisions are essential to our being. In my view, people who do not decide - those people are afraid of the world being changed. But there is no escape from that. Too much philosophy? “De-cidere / to cut off” is really true. Once you made the decision you can hardly get back to your old status.
People who are not able to make decisions have a problem with changing things.
As far as I know the world changes everyday and we are not able to stop that changing. This might be one of the biggest truths about our life here on earth.
When we make decisions, we are able to change the world / the business or our own life how we want.
If we did not others would decide for us and we would be no longer free.
Decisions are essential to our being. In my view, people who do not decide - those people are afraid of the world being changed. But there is no escape from that.
Too much philosophy?

]]> by: Lindsay http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8198 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:36:50 +0000 http://www.lifeonashirt.com/2007/12/10/just-say-no-the-art-of-making-decisions/#comment-8198 In the past 5 years I have been learning to make decisions. I have long envied the ease at which other people were able to do things - study abroad, change jobs, buy shoes - but until more recently I didn't realize it was about making decisions. Fortunately I had a mentor that helped me to understand more about decisions a few years ago so I have been much more conscious of decision making and aversion to decision making. I know that over the past year you have talked about making decisions at Spreadshirt and have talked about how we can gather the information we can and make the best decision - I think you said something along the line of hopefully things will work out, sometimes they won't, when things don't work out we will deal with it. I think you were wearing an I (heart) decisions t-shirt earlier this year and I know I told a couple of my friends about it. Learning about making decisions has been really helpful to me at work and probably even more helpful in my life outside of Spreadshirt. I am learning to be more understanding of why people make decisions and why they don't. I appreciate your ability to try to understand at those of us who are "decision challenged" and it is really helpful to learn about how you think about decisions. In the past 5 years I have been learning to make decisions. I have long envied the ease at which other people were able to do things - study abroad, change jobs, buy shoes - but until more recently I didn’t realize it was about making decisions.

Fortunately I had a mentor that helped me to understand more about decisions a few years ago so I have been much more conscious of decision making and aversion to decision making.

I know that over the past year you have talked about making decisions at Spreadshirt and have talked about how we can gather the information we can and make the best decision - I think you said something along the line of hopefully things will work out, sometimes they won’t, when things don’t work out we will deal with it. I think you were wearing an I (heart) decisions t-shirt earlier this year and I know I told a couple of my friends about it.

Learning about making decisions has been really helpful to me at work and probably even more helpful in my life outside of Spreadshirt. I am learning to be more understanding of why people make decisions and why they don’t. I appreciate your ability to try to understand at those of us who are “decision challenged” and it is really helpful to learn about how you think about decisions.

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