How do I make the right decisions? How do I know that the choices I make are the right ones and will yield good pay-offs? How do I make sure that my thoughts will affect my work positively and other stakeholders will be happy with what I do?
It will be a very rare day if you are not posed with such questions in your daily routine. We need to take many decisions at work and at home – all the time. As managers or supervisors, homemakers the yardstick for our day is often our ability to make the right decisions at the right time.
It is quite fascinating to know how meditation helps you improve your decision-making skills. The ancient technique of meditation is a powerful way to transform your mind into a robust source of energy and the seat of astute decisions. A good decision is the reflection of your thoughts and experiences, and this can be augmented through meditation.
#1 – Focused mind
Meditation releases the stresses that are accumulated in our mind. When we are at peace with our inner self, we automatically achieve greater clarity with the outer world too. A mind free of all stresses and tensions is focused, calm, and sharp. The nature of decisions taken by this frame of mind is definitely more useful and balanced.
When water is still, you can see both your reflection and straight through it till the bottom. But if you throw a stone into the still water, it gets all hazy and you can see neither. Similarly, when the mind is calm, one can clearly consider all parameters and possible repercussions to take a proper decision.
#2 – The right balance
A good leader is someone who is a team player and is open to accepting ideas from others. Meditation helps you kindle this quality. Our negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, regret, or even guilt or worry over past decisions, subconsciously play a part in the decision-making process. Regular meditation helps us overcome these incidents and strike the right balance while making decisions.
Our minds acquire various tendencies as a result of our interactions with the outer world. Meditation helps us drop these tendencies and be natural and take unbiased decisions in the right frame of mind.
#3 – Rational thinking
“By meditating regularly, you become more intelligent, avoid mental traps, and don’t get entangled in emotions. You evaluate situations more rationally, thereby making profitable decisions,” shares Priya Rao, meditation faculty with The Art of Living. Meditation helps you balance the thoughts coming from both, the left and the right hemispheres of the brain, helping one be solution-driven rather than reaction or emotionally-driven.
#4 – A strong mind
Meditation helps you discover yourself for the bundle of energy, joy, and enthusiasm you actually are. You can handle a greater workload, pressure, and deadlines more easily and will be ready to take a sound decision at any point in time.
“When you are communicating something—a decision or your point of view—how firmly and how politely you do so will decide the resulting action. There has to be the right balance between firmness and politeness, which are sharpened by your inner faculties. Meditation helps you achieve that strong frame of mind,” says Neeraj Kohli, a senior corporate trainer and a quality professional with experience of over two decades.
#5 – Intuition, perception and observation
Meditation is an effortless technique that improves your intuition along with observation and perception. Intuition is an extra dimension of thought that only those who meditate regularly can use.
“My job requires me to be more creative and innovative while making decisions. I have been meditating regularly for the last two years. I have found that my gut feeling has become razor sharp and keeps my work assignments flawless,” says Rohit, a creative associate with a leading ad agency. There is always a push and pull at work in any environment, which we need to balance and overcome to arrive at an optimal fit. Perceptiveness and observation towards the various aspects of our work and the business goals will aid us in finding this optimal fit. “Meditation helps you improve your perception and observation skills,” adds Neeraj
#6 – Focus on the present
When there is clarity in the mind, effective decision-making comes naturally. The confused state of mind is swinging either to the past or the future, and the present becomes clouded in doubts or distortions. Meditation practitioners combine meditation with Sudarshan Kriya, experiencing greater awareness and focus.
The SKY - Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, is a powerful breathing and meditation technique which rekindles your awareness and awakens your mind to the present moment.
The Sudarshan Kriya is taught at The Art of Living’s Happiness Program. This simple yet effective breathing technique eliminates stress, fatigue and negative emotions leaving you calm yet productive, and focused yet relaxed.
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