Have you ever noticed that on the one hand you set goals, define what you would like to have or achieve and on the other hand whiteout even realizing it you decide to take actions that keep you stuck or get you further away from your Goals and Desires?
Why you may ask? Well there are many reasonable explanations, many of which have to do with the psychological realm.
Today I invite you to explore a I model I've developed. The primary purpose of the M.A.Z.D.A model is to help you to become aware and in light of the awareness you get to go Meta. By that I mean to make decisions and choices about your past and still prevailing patterns of deciding.
So M.A.Z.D.A stands for: Mapping out, Assessing, Zooming In/Out, Detect, Approach the Situation in Creative Ways.
I strongly recommend that you do this on a piece of paper so that you actually get a better view and understanding of your decisions.
1. Mapping Out the Level of your Decisions
We could look at our Decisions from a High Level and Low Level. Other ways to express this would be: Macro and Micro Level, Abstract and Concrete Level.
Between them there are 1 or more intermediate sub-levels depending the issue we are considering.
At the Macro Level we have Decisions & Choices about: Goals, Values, Results we are after, Objectives, Purpose, Our Identity (who we are, who we set out to be).
At the Micro Level we have Decisions & Choices: Action Steps we take an a daily basis, Habits and Routines, Specific Implementation Procedures and Behaviors. We consider Where and When implement the Decision.
For example let's say that at the Macro Level you decide that you want to be a Successful Doctor.An intermediate Level Decision would be to go at Medical School.At the Micro Level some of the specific Decisions could be to: go daily at school, read books, study in private.
2. Assess the Background Frames of your Decisions
Here we have the BRRRRRR acronym and we look at and try to get a better understanding of:
1. Basic Building Blocks: the premises, assumptions we start from, the words and concepts itself;2. Rules, Beliefs, Principles we guide ourselves by: If...Then type of rules, what is right/wrong, good/bad, appropriate/inappropriate, exceptions to the rules, etc3. Requirements: Do you think in terms of Musts, Shoulds, Wants, Preferences, Degrees of? What Time, People, Resources are required? What is absolutely required and what could be replaced or done without?Do you use to approach situations as in terms of : Always, Sometimes, Everywhere, Everyone, Some people, etc?4. Responsibilities and Roles: Who is responsible for and for what? What is your Role in achieving your Goal?5. Recipes: What is your Plan, Strategy or Recipe for achieving your Goal? Other successful people what Recipes use to achieve similar Goals?6. Relationships: What is the relationship between this Goal/ Decision and other Goals that you either considering or concomitantly pursuing? Is there Dependency, Independent, Synergy, Complementarity?7. Ramifications: What might be the Consequences of this Decision? Effects for Short, Medium and Long Term?
3. Zooming In and Out your Decisions
At this point we exploring and experimenting with different perspectives by zooming in to a detail level and Zoom Out to see a big picture level.
We do this to gain a better understanding of the decisions we are making. Just like in Google Maps we zoom in to the street level and get a detailed perspective when we zoom out our perspective changes and we are able to see city, country, world view perspective.
4. Detection and Investigate your Decisions
Most of us tend to choose and decide based on how we feel at a given point in time.
We usually don't consider the implications and ramifications this new decisions will have on other decisions and commitments we previously made.
So at this stage we do kind of a Detective work and try to figure out if our decisions are consistent with each other. Do they reinforce one another, cancel out each other or there is a conflictual state?
We should look for inconsistencies between decisions at the same level and decisions made across levels.
For example let's say that you decide at a Macro Level that you want to have an athletic body. At the same Macro Level you Value Using your Time efficiently and may have a Rule/Belief that says the going to the gym is a waste of time. Unless you come up with an alternative way you'll have an inner conflict.
In the same example if at the Micro Level one of you actions to achieve your goal of having an athletic body is to run. Yet you decide (probably unconsciously ) continue to eat junk food on a daily basis. These two decisions will most likely tend to cancel each other out.
5. Approach Creatively your Decisions
If you do this for the first time you'll probably find several inconsistencies among your decisions.
At this stage it is time to get creative.
First of all realize that you are most likely making decisions using a Design, Procedure, Model that you have emulated from others.
Ask your self if it is still appropriate beneficial to continue to use that Model for Decision Making?
Think about what would be a more appropriate decision making model for you situation?
Get creative and generate new alternatives, choices, options so that your decisions are consistent and reinforce each other.
Read more about how to solve concrete or apparent conflicts and inconsistencies between you decisions: Decision Making, Buridan's Ass 🐴, FOMO and the Rabbits 🐇
