I recently heard a podcast talking about how one of the best things we can do for our brains is to move our bodies. We're at our best when we get them working together.
A similar dynamic is at play when we look at the head and the heart when making a decision.
Even if we're trying to notice the signs of consolation and desolation, sometimes we're not feeling any movement. We may need to use some mental exercises.
One such practice is to make a list of pros and cons. It's a simple tool, but we should use it with caution. Not only are we at risk of falling prey to confirmation bias, but it's also easy to get stuck in our heads.
The list of pros and cons is most helpful when it functions like jumper cables for our hearts.
I might start by making a mental accounting of the advantages and disadvantages of a particular option. As I write things down, I may notice feelings of peace and joy as I consider a particular pro. Maybe there's gnawing anxiousness when I consider a con.
Those deeper movements can often reveal more than the exact number of pros or cons on our lists.
We don’t have to ditch a list entirely, but there are pros to going beyond such a list when making a decision.
For a deeper dive into decision-making, you might be interested in my seven-part series, Deciding Like a Jesuit.
Excellent! Recommend the talks on how to decide like a Jesuit. Sharing them with my daughters and some other young people. Thanks, Dan Hoffman