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 very rare working day if you are not posed with such question in your daily routine. We need to take many decisions at work – the best way to cut costs, who to delegate work to, how best to utilize resources effectively, and so on. As managers or supervisors, the yardstick for our performance 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 – A Natural, Focused, Calm Mind
Meditation releases the stresses that are accumulated in your mind and leaves it pristine. 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. 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.
#2 – The Right Balance
A good leader is someone who experiences belongingness with his team. He is open to accepting ideas from others and acknowledges those ideas as good inputs. 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.
#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 you be solution-driven rather than reaction- or emotionally-driven.
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, the parameters that you need to consider to take a decision as well as the depth of the issue and possible repercussions can be seen clearly.
#4 – A Strong Mind
Meditation helps you discover yourself for the bundle of energy, joy, and enthusiasm you actually are. You begin to realize how much fun and happiness lies within your blossomed self. You can handle a greater workload, pressure, and deadlines more easily and will be ready to take sound decision at any point of 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 2 decades.
#5 – Intuition, Perception and Observation
Traditionally, intuitive decisions are more superior and holistic. 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 2 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.
