Category Archives: decision making

Decision Making

All of us confront the challenge of making decisions moment by moment. Do we make an appointment with the neurologist this week? Do we visit Parkinsons Recovery to get information? Do we take a vacation from our symptoms and have a piece of chocolate cake?

There is no way around it.  Life is all about decision making moment to moment.

How do you go about making the big decisions in your life? How do you go about deciding which therapies or treatments to pursue? There are so many choices. There is so little time. Money is a challenge for most.

Here is an awesome suggestion I heard during a teleseminar several months ago which was offered by Hans who is from Holland. Hans told us he uses the following strategy to make big decisions. The example he shared with us involved making a decision about whether he needed to start taking prescription medications for Parkinson’s.

Here is the idea.

Day One:

Take the position

“Yes, I need to take medications now.”

Everyone you talk with this day, listen to yourself giving all the reasons and arguments why it will be a great idea for you to start taking medications. No criticism is allowed. All discussion throughout the day with anyone you talk with is about the advantages of taking medications.

Day Two

Reverse the position. Devote the entire day talking about the negatives with your friends and loved ones. (This is not your only work this day. It just focuses the discussions you have with your friends).  Everything that comes out of your mouth is about the negatives. Talk  about all the reasons why it will be a stupid idea to start taking medications.

Day Three:

Talk only about the positives. Listen to yourself as you talk with others. Is your body excited? Are you excited? Are you losing energy? Are you gaining energy? How does it feel? Do you speak with confidence and enthusiasm? Listen to yourself.

Day Four :

Talk only about the negatives. Listen to yourself as you talk with others. Is your body excited? Are you excited? Are you losing energy? Are you gaining energy? How does it feel? Do you speak with confidence and enthusiasm? Listen to yourself.

You can do the routine for two more days, or it may be clear by now. You body may have given you a clear signal about which decision is best for you now.

I believe this is an eloquent way of helping yourself listen to the wisdom of your own body. Your body knows what is best. The idea is to just listen to yourself babble.  If your are confronting a tough decision,  give Han’s decision making method.  It works for him like a charm.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

© 2009 Parkinsons Recovery