We are not good decision makers but we can become better

There is no guarantee that the work you set out do do will actually work. And not having a guarantee terrifies us.

So much so that we develop a narrative of how this will be the end of everything if this doesn’t work out. Fortunately for us, we don’t need to worry about dying when we make a mistake at work or when interacting with our kids or when being rejected. A safe isn’t going to drop on our heads. A shark is not going to land on our house.

But that tension causes us to hesitate in our decision making. We look for alternatives that will take us off the hook. We look for a path of least resistance. One that favors safety and reliability. One that gives responsibility away so we can have someone else to blame.

Let’s be clear, the easiest path may be the correct one. But if you find you’re always taking the easy way out, you are eventually going to find yourself stuck. Pretty quickly I might add.

Your decisions can’t be better than the alternatives you’ve laid out. Be wise on choosing the path you have imagined. Perhaps there are roads that are still waiting to be discovered.