I’ve had a decision maker filter that I’ve been trying to master for a couple years now.
Two of the three parts of my filter came from Andy Stanley sermon series:
- What does love require of me in this situation?
- In light of my past history, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?
The third (What does unmitigated discipline in all things look like in this situation?) comes from Mr. Jocko Willink.
Mr. Stanley just released a book (or if you’re reading this in the future, he released it on 10/20/20) that teases out those two questions along with three additional questions.
In Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move, the pastor of North Point Community Church draws from Scripture and experiential wisdom to offer a paradigm for effective decision-making.
This is one of those books that is striking in its simplicity. He writes in a very conversational style. I could almost hear him speaking from the stage (or the large projector screen) as I read.
Yet the 5 questions he poses as a decision making filter are powerful and air-tight.
While the questions might not help you with every decision, i.e. “Should I use this vendor or that vendor?” or “What college should I go to or job should I choose?”, they will help you be a lot more honest with yourself when you’re facing many a typical dilemma.
Even those decisions I just mentioned – which vendor, school, job, etc. – would be well-served to put through these questions.
Just in case you don’t grab the book, here are the questions….
- Am I being honest with myself… really?
- What story do I want to tell?
- Is there a tension that deserves my attention?
- What is the wise thing to do?
- What does love require of me?
I hate giving away all those goods and not teasing this thing more, but on the off chance you made it to this blog post / book review and won’t buy the book, you might just need to read those questions and apply them to something you’re dealing with right now.
So many times we decide in the moment, based on what makes us most comfortable or what causes us the least amount of pain or provides the most pleasure – in that very moment.
Unfortunately, that type of on-the-fly decision-making can and does lead to regrets.
You and I have both been there. We can immediately go to the place of that one decision that wrecked a relationship or created more stress than needed or even ruined a career or caused someone else emotional or physical pain.
This little book is for those of us who desire, above all else, to make decisions with our relationships, our health, our faith, and our legacy in mind.
I highly recommend it. You can pick it up at Amazon or anywhere else books are sold.
