Decisions Decisions

How can I know what God wants me to do? We make choices, and then our choices makes us (or break us!). This is true of "big" decisions of course, but "little" decisions are just as important because they lead to the big ones. All of our choices are the threads in the fabric of our future. Ultimately, our decisions are so important because they have ramifications beyond this life, and into eternity. What's more, the way we make decisions is a central part of our personal relationship with God. We need to learn how to make good decisions so that will be able to make the best choice immediately, and instinctively. In clear and thoughtful steps, Swavely uncovers and explains the principles that God uses to lead and guide us including: how we should consider feelings, impressions or prompting, circumstances, counsel, desires and prayer. This brief yet relentlesly biblical book also helps us avoid some common errors that can rob our joy, and send us off in the wrong direction. Here, in this the theologically grounded volume, you will gain the wisdom and discernment necessary to practice God's way of making good decisions that honor him.

Co-owner of Boston Pizza and star of CBC-TV’s Dragons’ Den, Jim Treliving reveals the secrets of his success, taking you behind the scenes at critical points in the building of his businesses—which also include Mr. Lube and interests in real estate and sports franchising. Covering the “big” decisions—from what to do with your life to how to source capital, find partners, handle change and inspire growth—Treliving sets out the tools for making effective choices and explains why every decision requires action. He also discusses how to bounce back from those no-so-good decisions, explaining how to refocus and recalibrate, just as Treliving had to do when he realized that Boston Pizza’s expansion into Asia was causing the company to drift off-brand. Pulling back from Asian opportunities was a tough decision at the time, but the move became crucial to guiding successful BP expansions later on. Always candid, Treliving also shares his insights on some very public choices, ones you may have seen him make on The Big Decision or Dragons’ Den. Down to earth, sensible and filled with vision and humour, Decisions is a book for budding entrepreneurs and for those who want the inside business stories beyond what we see on TV. But it’s also for people who want to transform their companies into ones that create steady wealth and lasting success. Even if you’re not in business, Treliving’s inspiring story and astute advice will help you make wiser decisions in your life and move forward with confidence in your chosen field.

Anyone who watches the television news has seen images of firefighters rescuing people from burning buildings and paramedics treating bombing victims. How do these individuals make the split-second decisions that save lives? Most studies of decision making, based on artificial tasks assigned in laboratory settings, view people as biased and unskilled. Gary Klein is one of the developers of the naturalistic decision making approach, which views people as inherently skilled and experienced. It documents human strengths and capabilities that so far have been downplayed or ignored. Since 1985, Klein has conducted fieldwork to find out how people tackle challenges in difficult, nonroutine situations. Sources of Power is based on observations of humans acting under such real-life constraints as time pressure, high stakes, personal responsibility, and shifting conditions. The professionals studied include firefighters, critical care nurses, pilots, nuclear power plant operators, battle planners, and chess masters. Each chapter builds on key incidents and examples to make the description of the methodology and phenomena more vivid. In addition to providing information that can be used by professionals in management, psychology, engineering, and other fields, the book presents an overview of the research approach of naturalistic decision making and expands our knowledge of the strengths people bring to difficult tasks.

Dan Ariely, the New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational, and illustrator Matt R. Trower present a playful graphic novel guide to better decision-making, based on the author’s groundbreaking research in behavioral economics, neuroscience, and psychology. The internationally renowned author Dan Ariely is known for his incisive investigations into the messy business of decision-making. Now, in Amazing Decisions, his unique perspective—informed by behavioral economics, neuroscience, and psychology—comes alive in the graphic form. The illustrator Matt R. Trower’s playful and expressive artwork captures the lessons of Ariely’s groundbreaking research as they explore the essential question: How can we make better decisions? Amazing Decisions follows the narrator, Adam, as he faces the daily barrage of choices and deliberations. He juggles two overlapping—and often contradictory—sets of norms: social norms and market norms. These norms inform our thinking in ways we often don’t notice, just as Adam is shadowed by the “market fairy” and the “social fairy,” each compelling him to act in certain ways. Good decision-making, Ariely argues, requires us to identify and evaluate the forces at play under different circumstances, leading to an optimal outcome. Amazing Decisions is a fascinating and entertaining guide to developing skills that will prove invaluable in personal and professional life.

Set yourself up for success in every season of life, for the rest of your life. Discover five game-changing questions to ask every time you make a major decision regarding your finances, relationships, career, and more. Good questions lead to better decisions. And your decisions determine the direction and quality of your life—they create the story of your life. And while nobody plans to complicate their life with bad decisions, far too many people have no plan to make good decisions. In Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, Andy Stanley—pastor and bestselling author of Irresistible and Not In It To Win It—will help you learn from experience and stop making bad decisions by integrating five questions into every decision you make, big or small. This book will help you live differently by showing you how to: Develop a decision-making filter that reveals which choices will likely lead to positive results. Avoid selling yourself on bad ideas and making quick decisions when time is short. Find truth and clarity in any tricky decision. Improve relationships and heal division through better decisions. Discover the reasons behind your decisions so you can move forward with positive changes. Consider the long-term impact of your choices so you can write a life story worth celebrating. Easily identify any red flags that signal which decisions may result in future regrets.

Business revolves around making decisions, often risky decisions, usually with incomplete information and too often in less time than we need. Executives at every level, in every industry, are confronted with information overload, less leeway for mistakes, and a business environment that changes rapidly. In light of this increased pressure and volatility, the old-fashioned ways of making decisions–depending on intuition, common sense, and specialized expertise–are simply no longer sufficient. Distilling over thirty years of groundbreaking research, Winning Decisions, written by two seasoned business advisers and world leaders in behavioral decision studies, is a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind guide to the proven methods of making critical business decisions confidently, quickly–and correctly. Decision-making is a business skill which managers often take for granted in themselves and others–but it's not as easy as some might think. The authors, whose expertise has been sought out by over a hundred companies, including Arthur Andersen, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Unilever, contend that decision-making, like any other skill, must be developed and honed if it is to be used effectively. Winning Decisions offers step-by-step analyses of how people typically make decisions, and provides invaluable advice on how to improve your chances of getting your next big decision right the first time. The book is packed with worksheets, tools, questionnaires, case studies, and anecdotes analyzing major decisions made by organizations like British Airways, NASA, Shell Oil, and Pepsi. Some of the proven, straightforward techniques covered in Winning Decisions include how to: Reframe issues to ensure that the real problem is being addressedImprove the quality and quantity of your options Convert expert yet conflicting opinions into useful insights Make diversity of views and conflict work to your advantage Foster efficient and effective group decision-making Learn from past decisions--your own and those of others With Winning Decisions, managers and other professionals now have access to a proven set of skills and strategies they need for making the right decision, right away.

Contains short stories and activities that challenges and promotes critical thinking.