Biases or Boldness?
Stick or twist?
How are you getting in the way of doing something new?
Whether it’s a career change, starting a new business or moving to a different country there are some exciting decisions in life that we fail to make.
Why do we linger in the status quo?
- Loss aversion bias: we more scared of the losses than the potential gains.
- Sunk cost effect: we’ve invested so much in where we are now we should just carry on
- Status quo bias: better the devil you know
This evolutionary programming was installed to keep us safe but can also stop us from growing and living a more fulfilling life.
Exciting possibility lives in the land of uncertainty.
So what can we do?
- Embrace wise reasoning
- Celebrate your successes; learn from your mistakes.
- Surround yourself with “twist” people
According to David Robson “wise reasoning” is a new field of psychology that helps us take a wider perspective. Rather than impulsively follow an opportunity or fearfully refuse to try anything new we can look at decisions from outside of ourselves.
From our experience of working with entrepreneurs and founders in transition making decisions is a lot easier when you can see all the angles.
“You can’t see the label when you’re inside the bottle”
Having others that highlight your biases will help you navigate life’s stick-or-twist moments less painfully, leading to a more fulfilling life journey.
Want to escape boredom or burnout?
Needing to do something new?
Then find your tribe; people who can help you navigate these exciting times with wisdom and confidence.
(This post was inspired by an article written by David Robson in the New Scientist - see comments for the link to learn more about the research about biases and wise reasoning.)