Henry Kissinger once said that “The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.” While I agree entirely, I have to wonder if there are not better ways to achieve clarity of mind. The absence of alternatives usually implies either that your hand has been forced or that you have waited so long to act that all of the other options have expired. Given that the first case is bound to happen on occasion and is beyond your control, I would like to focus briefly on ways to overcome the latter case.
How do you effectively weigh your options without becoming paralyzed in the process?
There are many decision tools that you might usefully employ when you are faced with a complicated decision. There is the classic “SWOT” analysis, where you list out your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to paint a picture of your present situation. Knowing where you are can be very helpful when you are looking to decide where you are going next.
You may also map out a decision tree, a logical map that allows you to follow out the various options under consideration based on what you now know. Start with the first question you must answer to move forward and follow out each thought in a similar manner. Mathematicians use a technique called “successive approximation”, a problem-solving method in which a succession of approximations, each building on the one preceding in order to achieve a desired degree of accuracy. You cannot always read the future accurately, but as I’ve said before, the events of the future cast their shadows on the present and sometimes you can make a well-educated guess based on the shadows.
You might also consult with someone who has your best interest at heart. Never commiserate with someone who has the same or less vision than you, for such conversations inevitably lead to greater confusion. Be willing to hear the “hard sayings” and encourage honesty in those who surround you. As uncomfortable as such friendships might be on occasion, they are worth their weight in gold when it comes to decision time.
Try and avoid situations where you are faced with the challenge of serving two masters. That just never ends well. There is only so much of you to go around and if you are at cross-purposes internally, the foundation you build in your living will be filled with cracks and incompatible materials.
At the end of the day, no matter how fancy your decision tools might be, you cannot build a clear mind on a foundation of a troubled heart. You must first come to the point where you are willing to let your heart come to rest in relation to the options you face. Rarely is a good decision made on the compulsion of panic or frenzy.
May you be possessed of a clear mind today!
Gregory Hake 
To have a clear mind for decisions when you need it, you must take the proper preparatory steps during the times when you might not be hard-pressed to have an accurate picture. Cultivating the right kind of friendships is one thing you mentioned, but you might also consider taking the steps you would make for a large decision during the small decisions as well. A test run like this where you can analyze the accuracy of your analysis without the emotions that accompany a large decision can be useful. Thanks for another great post!
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This is such a practical approach to absolutely any situation. It’s a skill, that once honed helps you to make quick decisions when necessary, too
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Will most eagerly employ the process you outlined this evening.
Many thanks, and more specifically thanks for the clearing today!
Will be sure to keep you in the spiral. (Formerly loop) lol
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Unless there is an overal focus of concern, loyalty and love, there are bound to be more or less ceaseless conflicts, nullifications and frustrations. As you indicate, a clear mind can only be the outgrowth of a pure heart. Thoughts do serve a master, and it is well to be honest and diligent to choose that master wisely!
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Lots of good points here as I think about what I’ve read. Owning up to your decisions, fully and without reservation, taking full responsibility for them, conditions and trains the mental faculties to develop the ability (necessity?) of single-minded function. This commitment inherently sharpens one’s focus and awareness, bringing greater clarity as a result. I’ve found that it does take daily commitment to become fit here, just like in any other kind of fitness, and every day we have a chance to harmonize the various details of our lives that may be disjointed. Our whole lives come to bear upon the sanity of our minds.
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Thank You. In a world where there are more and more responsibilities and time seems to speed up your words are a welcome reminder.
When I was guiding in the Alaskan Chucagh mountains we were constantly having to evaluate potential danger and essentially make life and death risk management decisions. While this might be an extreme example, I found it critical to have a clear mind. It was certainly a skill that guides learned and developed over time to a point that an outsider might think we made it look easy. However make no mistake it was a skill that developed based on our ability of observation and maintaining a “clear mind”.
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Thanks for outlining the options and their process, interesting and helpful. I’ve heard it said when there is an emergency or an extreme situation, those most likely to survive are the ones that don’t panic. Fear and frenzy short circuit our capabilities.
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