OODA! Training your mind for life.
This comes courtesy of Pastor Joe Fox of Viking Preparedness. I do have to give credit where credit is due. Anyway, I heard this today on a Youtube video of his, and I wanted to share it with you. So what does O.O.D.A stand for? I'm glad you asked, so here it is: Obeserve, Orient, Decide, Act. It's a way to think in high stress situations. And I'm sure there's much more to it as well. I haven't done a thorough Google search on it yet, but I will. With that, here's my 2 cents.
As men, and leaders, we need to be able to think fast, and act in situations. We need to make the right decisions. So this is a great way to do that. First, observe the situation. Use your senses. Observe your environment. Take your earbuds out, and sunglasses off, and start to be aware of your situation. We call this situational awareness. So observe your situation.
Next, orient. That means cope with what is going on. whether its life threatening, or just unusual, orient yourself to where you are in the moment you are there. You need to properly adjust to whatever life throws your way. As a leader, you need to be mentally ready at all times. So with your mind open, and ready to adjust, carry on.
Now is decision making time. You've observed, and oriented yourself, now it's time to make a decision with the information you have at hand. This is the thinking part. You've taken the facts, acclimated yourself to them, now you have to decide what you're going to do. What are your options? Where will they lead? Life is like chess, you have to see everything 3 moves in advance. So use your brain
Last, but not least, Action. You have to take the sum of the information at hand, decide on your options, then act on them. This process should be fast, and it should be accurate. After you've acted, you then repeat the cycle. Thus the loop aspect.
This methodology of thought has been used at the highest levels of military, and law enforcement. It works for them, and it will work for you. With all of that said, it's time to give an example: You're at the store and observe your favorite candy bar. Your brain lights up, your mouth starts to water, and you begin to imagine the sweet taste of chocolate, and the crinkle of the wrapper when you're done. You know you can pound that candy bar in 30 seconds flat. Now orient yourself. You're healthy, and on budget. This candy bar is a waste of calories, and money. It's just your body trying to control your mind. Decide. To buy or not to buy. Now act. Turn away from the candy bar and run out of the store. And repeat.
I know this will help you. It's certainly helped me in the few hours I've been thinking about it. So take a few minutes out of your day to acclimate your brain to thinking in this way. And as always, feel free to leave a post. Take care, God bless, and lead on!