The “fight or flight” response is a truly fascinating part of the human psyche.
Under states of stress or duress, our field of vision actually physically narrows, allowing us to see fewer options. Couple that with increased levels of adrenaline and we end up with fewer, more emotionally charged options. Our focus shifts from longer term thinking to the immediate, which can lead to decisions that might save us for the time being, but have disastrous ramifications in the long term.
So here’s the question – how much stress is in your life right now? How long as it been there? Is it possible that such stress is impacting your decision making abilities? Perhaps so subtly and insidiously that you’re not even realizing you’re not in a clear state of mind?
It’s a bit of a sobering thought and, for me anyway, has me taking a hard look at my schedule, my commitments and my relationships. I’m an entrepreneur – stress comes with the job description. But that doesn’t mean I have to take on any additional stress than that which is absolutely necessary. I’m cutting out anything that doesn’t add value. I’m deliberately choosing to decrease my stress, not by ignoring or distracting myself from the realities of running a business but, quite the opposite, focusing on them so intently that I can make intelligent, proactive decisions around that which really matters.
