Chirps and Choices
Decision-making, not just for the birds.
Her feathered landing was as soft and gentle as a lunar astronaut. Her decision-making was much more conclusive and abrupt! Only ten feet from where I stood, a hungry barn swallow planted her feet, hovered over her options for lunch, turned her head this way and then that, with one sweep of her beak, pushed a big juicy bug aside and with another sweep she consumed a smaller Bug Souffle. Faster than you could pick up a lunch menu, this tiny bird made a choice.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our choices were that simple? What if, at least in a general sense, they could be? You might say, “Well, her choice was just over what to eat for lunch; nothing major!” The truth is- it was pretty significant! Her life depended on it!
Some basic elements are common in all good decision-making. We can learn from the acronym CHIRP:
Clarify your objectives: Clearly define what you aim to achieve through your decision.
Hear both sides: You have a logical and emotional side, so listen to both.
Investigate: Collect relevant information and data so you understand the situation thoroughly.
Reflect on past decisions: Some were good. Some were bad. What did you learn? The past can help you make your future decisions.
Pretend reality: Before you finalize your choice, for as long a time as possible, pretend you’ve already made the choice. How does that make you feel? Your response should make your decision obvious.
Making good choices is easy when there are no options. My experience is this is very seldom the case. There always seems to be an optional “bug.” In that case we should be open to adjusting our decision if new information emerges or the situation changes unexpectedly.
Making a good decision is a big deal! Once it’s made you should own it and walk confidently with it. Prove yourself as a good decision-maker!
Solomon said,
“Wise people think before they act; fools don’t…” (Proverbs 13:16)
Making good selections is not just for the birds!