DECISION-MAKING IN CRISIS

The Value in Crisis
Daily Inspiration
By John H. Sklare, Ed.D, Lifescript Personal Coach
Published September 01, 2010

I was watching a tennis match on TV, and the announcer was discussing the “mental” problem the tennis player was having lately. He commented that the player had to “work her way out of it mentally." The announcer also said that such problems can’t be practiced because "it doesn’t happen on the practice court. It only happens in matches like this.” There is an important lesson to be learned for those of you who find yourself in crisis today. Let me explain.

Crisis and turmoil provide a great opportunity for meaningful change. For example, take dieting: When life is good, it’s easy to make the right choices and avoid emotional eating. But the real test of healthy eating arises when you're faced with crisis. This is when you find out if you've really changed. If you haven't, you'll return to emotional eating as a coping mechanism. Just like the tennis player's mental issue during match play, improvement for you can only happen when you're in the heat of battle!

Here's the lesson: If you find yourself in a pickle, don’t just experience this situation; use it to move yourself closer to the person you want to be. Life’s firestorms are the perfect opportunity to change your life.

Wishing You Great Health,
Dr. John H. Sklare

MY THOUGHTS

If you think making decisions on a daily basis is hard, think of how you will decide in a crisis situation. Our decision-making style will most certainly be more defined when we are in a crisis. Some people will freeze-up, allowing others (maybe unknowingly to take the rein). Others will get an adrenalin rush allowing them to think on their feet.

The best decision makers are those who can adjust their styles - depending on the situation. You don't want to list and weigh the pros and cons when you're in a crisis. And you don't want to deal with everyday, normal problems as if a 9.0 earthquake just hit you.

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