When Priorities Are Clear, Decisions Are Easier

When you are clear about your priorities, the decisions you make are much easier. It is like removing the branches of a dense forest in order to remember where our roots are, those that nourish our self-esteem to know what and who is left over, to act without fear and always according to the voice of our own heart.

This idea, which in appearance may be more than obvious, actually contains certain nuances on which to reflect. We live in a world where there is a dimension that conquers territories with giant feet: despair. This emotion that often precedes a depressive state where the person completely loses control of his life. It is like a thorn that digs into us until we are breathless.

This emotional weakness originates from the moment in which we begin to question the decisions made throughout a period of our life. Why should I invest so much time and effort in people who later betray me? What is the reason why I worry so much about fulfilling a job where I am not valued? Why would I have ignored my intuition at that moment and left when I had the opportunity?

Hopelessness or life disenchantment causes dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction the gradual loss of control of one’s life. These are moments in which we come to think that “whatever I do, nothing is going to change. ” Now, far from allowing ourselves to fall into this unfortunate void, we have the opportunity to assume that moment of personal crisis for what it is: a turning point in our lives.

It is an ideal time to find new meanings, to self-explore our inner universes in search of what gives strength, encouragement and courage to our identity: priorities.

We suggest you reflect on it. 

Priorities, demands, and the emotional brain

One of the biggest problems we have today is our difficulty in separating our own priorities from the demands of the environment. It is not at all a question of rejecting some in order to embrace the others exclusively. No one can go around the world prioritizing himself and ignoring what work, family or the rest of our environments demand of him. In reality, the key is to maintain a wise, harmonious and steady balance.

Prioritizing is knowing how to decide

If we dedicate all our time to meet the demands of others, we will neglect ourselves and move away from that center of power, it is a delicate nucleus to care for and listen to every day: ourselves.

• Psychologist Albert Bandura said that people who learn to take control over their lives feel more satisfied. That is the key, to take control by learning to decide better and remembering what our priorities are.

• To achieve this we must learn to clarify what is important to us.
• That is, no one can ask me for anything that goes against my values, that violates my self-esteem or that affects my physical or emotional integrity.

Bearing this in mind, on a day-to-day basis we will always make decisions that go along the same lines: that of our own heart or more than our heart, our emotional brain. Now, how to achieve it? To better understand how we can achieve this, it is worth delving first into the brain mechanisms that accompany any decision-making.

Emotional neurons and decision neurons

According to a study published in the journal “Nature Neuroscience”, the brain structure that orchestrates our decision making is the orbitofrontal cortex. This work yielded useful and interesting data: in this structure two types of neurons with a very specific function are concentrated.

OFC neurons

The first are OFC neurons, whose function is to offer an emotional value to each option that we have to assess before making a decision. They do it based on our previous experiences. Also to our identity and our personality. It is like a prior mechanism that is directly linked to what we call “intuition”.

• • For example: Something tells me that I should reject that job offer, because I know that it requires certain competencies that do not fit my character.

Value cells

The second group of neurons are cells of value. Here there is no longer an emotional component, rather a practical attribution is applied. In this case it would be: “I have to accept that job because I need a salary, because returning to the labor market is a priority at the moment”.

Once the person makes a decision based on these two mechanisms, the emotional and the attributional value component, the orbitrofrontal cortex assigns a new emotion to that option made. The purpose is simple: the brain tries to motivate us at all times to be successful in that goal, in that demand.

The need to have clear priorities to make safer decisions

Something we all know is that in this life you have to take risks. There will be more successful decisions and others that will be less so. However, sometimes, what seems crazy at first ends up being the most logical and successful option of our existence. With all this, what we mean is something very simple. To be happy you have to make decisions and be responsible for them at all times.

The feeling of hopelessness -cited at the beginning of the article- is resolved precisely by connecting with our interior and bringing to light our own priorities, those that nothing and no one should boycott. To achieve this, it is worth considering 3 simple strategies.

Reduce

List all your present needs on a piece of paper. You will realize that there are many, however, among all of them are the true priorities: to be happy, to be respected, to be well physically and emotionally … Reflect on them.

Compare

Once you have clarified your priorities, compare them with the demands of your environment. Are they in harmony? Is something being demanded of you that goes against your values? Is there a person who alters your emotional health?

Consolidates

Now that we are fully aware that there are certain aspects that go against our priorities, there is only one thing left. We must act to consolidate that balance between internal priorities and external demands.

Finally, once we have completed these steps, we only have one last detail left. You have to draw up a life plan. Because if there is something that being clear about our own needs, our own values, dreams and hopes offers us, it is to show ourselves that we can and must be masters of our destiny.

When you are finally very clear about what you want, the adventure of life begins again.