MDBCs 31 Dec 2023

Being decisive can be challenging especially in today's fast-paced, uncertainty-ridden world. People have more information and resources available to assist them in their decision-making process, but have fewer controls over the outcomes and the consequences of their choices. Despite this, decisiveness is more and more being viewed as an important quality for people to have both in their professional world and in their personal lives. Studies have shown that employees react favorably to decisive bosses and employers and co-workers tend to view indecisive people as incompetent and weak.

Easy to Learn

However, there is good news for the chronic overanalyzer and the lifelong second guesser - decisiveness may not come naturally to you, but you can easily learn how to make good decisions, quickly and with little anguish. Experts suggest that to be decisive, one must first become comfortable with incomplete information and embrace risk. Start with small, inconsequential decisions and work your way to life altering major decisions. Do not underestimate gut feelings, but do not rely just on them. Listen to your heart and to your brain. Break down big decisions into smaller, more manageable mini decisions and never hesitate to ask for help.

How to Celebrate?

By making up your mind, of course. Have a big decision to make? Don't hesitate, just do it and don't worry about what could have been.
Resolve to make quick decisions and try not to regret them. For example, next time you are at a restaurant, give yourself a time limit to make your menu selection and stick to it.
Struggling to be decisive? Ask a friend or a family member to be your support system. Tell them to pull you back in line every time you start waffling.
Meditate over your decisions. Make a pro and con list and reason out the consequences of your decision logically. Stick to the list and once you have made your decision, do not go back on it.

Did You Know…

…that according to some studies, making high-stress decisions can tire out the brain, making it less effective for other activities?

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The Dumbest Police Calls in America

From the police blotter,  or, what a beat cop deals with  every day:

• A deputy responded to a report  of a vehicle stopping at mailboxes.  It was the mail carrier.

• A woman said her son was  attacked by a cat, and the cat would not allow her to take her son to the hospital.

• A resident said someone had  entered his home at night and taken five pounds of bacon. Upon further investigation, police discovered  his wife had gotten up for a late-night snack.

• A man reported that a squirrel  was running in circles on Davis Drive, and he wasn’t sure if it was sick or had been hit by a car. An  officer responded, and as he drove on the street, he ran over the squirrel.

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Three Dumb ER Stories You’re Allowed To Laugh At

“Patient in to ER at 0400 with no complaints:

‘I have been having chest pain for 4 months but I am not having chest pain now. The reason I’m here now is because I heard that 4am is the best time to come cause there are not that many people.’ ”

“Had a woman call 911 because she ‘had déjà vu in the shower and got nervous.’”

“Got a frantic call from a woman who claimed she had overdosed and needed help immediately. We arrive on scene, and she hands us an empty mint container, saying she took them all. That night she learned that you cannot overdose on mints.”

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The Mystery Kitchen Utensil

My collection of vintage kitchen utensils includes one whose intended purpose was always a mystery. It looks like a cross between a metal slotted spoon and a spatula, so I  use it as both. When not in use, it  is prominently displayed in a  decorative ceramic utensil caddy  in my kitchen. The mystery of the spoon/spatula was recently solved when I found one in its original packaging at  a rummage sale.

It’s a pooper-scooper.

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A young man was planting some flower seeds on a sweltering day, sweating from the hot sun.

His neighbor said, “You need to wait until the sun goes down, or plant in the morning when it is coolest.”

The man said, “I can’t do that. It says on the package, ‘Plant in full sun!’ ”

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