How to Make Solid Decisions

Scenario: "Dude, I'm the greatest decision-maker in the world. I have no regrets, as just about every one of my frickin' decisions are correct. High-five!"

Think back to your last debate/disagreement/quarrel.

You were oh-so-totally 100% correct, while that other mofo was oh-so-totally wrong. You probably ended the conversation, thinking:

• "That person really doesn't get it."
• "I'm sure s/he'll come to her senses, eventually."
• "Wow, that person is l-o-c-o."

But...but...if Craig thinks he's right, Sally thinks she's right, and Miguel, Tony, Bobby, Miguel, Johnny B., Chrissy, Efrain, and Miguel -- who's wrong? Here's a hint: Unless Johnny B. has hard 100%-objective data on his assertions, he's probably wrong 50% of the time. (As with the other folks.)

Says The Research...

According to psychologist researchers at Psychology Today:

We filter out evidence that contradicts our beliefs, particularly the mistaken idea that the opposite of a true statement must be false.

That's why you rarely hear the coveted three words: "I'm wrong, b!tches." El Conclusion Our brains drive us to make horrifically bad decisions based on horrifically bad insight; that, in turn, corrupts our chances of success. To boost your chances to kick ass, start manipulating your brain with gradual 'check-yo-self'ers. We'll explain.

How Our Brains Suck

According to Jim Collins and his chimps' research, visionary companies start every discussion by first confronting the brutal facts of their realities. But, that's easier said than done. Sure, your rationale might tell you that you just hafta-gotta-need-a confront the facts of your realities before you make wise decisions. But, your subconscious tells you something differently:

• "Hey, we're not mediocre! We're superstars! High-five!" we blindly tell ourselves.

We humans hate to admit our faults, so we rarely confront the absolute brutal facts of our realities. That's cognitive dissonance at its finenst: The sucker prevents us from kicking really juicy ass -- and instead, drives us toward our usual mediocrities. Remember: If you don't confront your faults/mistakes, you'll repeatedly commit them over, and over...and over -- gradually destroying your potential.

How to Unblind Yo-Self

Start manipulating the unconscious side of your brain:

• In 30 seconds, admit one mistake that prevented you from being more efficient last week.

Hint: Write/type the sucka down. You'll "un-blind" your brain much quicker. We'll wait. LalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLalaLala. Done? How'd that feel? A little uncomfortable, eh? Not a problem: as with tackling any bad habit, it takes baby steps. Now if you're feeling like an adventurous mofo, start listing out two additional mistakes. The trick to all of this:

Habitually Check Yo-Self

..in increasing amounts. At Trizzy, we started with a frequent routine:

• Week 1: Admit 1 small mistake everyday.
• Week 2: Admit 2 mistakes everyday.
• ...
• Week 10: Admit 10 mistakes every morning.

Of course, customize the process to your own preference. Try it for 21 straight days, and you'll build an awesome habit that's crazy-hard to break. Once you get in the habit of confronting the absolute brutal realities of your situation -- as Collins's six-year research asserts, you'll make astronomically awesome decisions that will dramatically boost your chances for major @^^%^ success.

Check Yo-Self.

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