Uh, me!
I would love to take a pill and suddenly make better decisions.
Decisions that carry me forward by leaps and bounds along that golden path to my ideal future.
Would you?
The reasons why we might be not-so-good decision makers are numerous and diverse. Pretty much, it’s a very personal set of things that cause us to make bad decisions. In fact, I bet you could name your top three right now.
The cool thing is?
There is a single solution that will across the board help us make better decisions.
And?
It’s so much better than pill-popping!
This solution is enfolded in the arms of our innate chronobiology.
What is chronobiology?
It is a field of science inside biology that studies the timing processes, cycles, physiological rhythms of living organisms. These cycles are reproducible, predictable and do not rely on environmental stimuli.
It all started with plants like the mimosa, whose leaves close up at night. Just in the last 10 or so years, the field of study has exploded onto the human scene, interacting with areas of research on sleep, endocrinology, and yes, the brain and mental function.
Which leads us back to better decision-making. What is it?
We know it’s a highly-valued skill we’d better include on our resume if we want to get our dream job.
We know we’re terrible at it in certain areas of our lives.
And, according to a simple web-search, we know that adult humans make about 35,000 decisions in an average day.
That’s why, when we get faster at making better decisions, we have more time to play-out the consequences of our actions. And, more importantly, these consequences are likely to be positive.
So what is it?
Roughly, decision-making is defined as choosing between different solutions to a problem.
Can you believe we have 35,000 problems in a day? We have to be super-optimistic creatures to keep going.
That’s why streamlining our decision-making will increase our quality of life.
What happens when we combine chronobiology and decision-making?
We come up with the ideal time, based on our personal natural rhythms, to make the most important decisions. When our mental clarity, our energy levels and emotional control mechanisms are at their peak, we naturally (and swiftly) make the best decisions.
So, when is our optimal decision-making time?
That depends.
Wait!
We’re not just leaving it there!
Here are 3 easy ways to find out:
- Quiz – Find your chronotype quizzes abound. They range in results from two birds (lark and owl) to four birds (hummingbird, dove, owl, lark) to four different creatures (lion, bear, dolphin, wolf). The strong point of these: Accessibility. The internet is filled with them. Most of them don’t even collect your email address. The downside? They are subjective (completely reliant on your own perception.)
- Technology – We live in an amazing technological boom. We have access to smart watches, apps and the like – for free, pennies or lots more. Some of them will help you determine your sleep-wake schedules. Check out the Social Rhythms App.
- Science-based tools and Artificial Intelligence – because chronobiology is so hot, there are new studies and tools developed all the time to assist us in discovering and following our natural biological rhythms. My favorite is the non-invasive Artificial Intelligence of ph360. Taking a few basic body measurements, a bit of family history, some lifestyle questions they feed data into a complex algorithm which builds a multi-layered model of you, including a deep dive into your specific chronobiology. This personalized information is the way I optimize my productivity, sleep, energy, food and..yes…especially my decision-making skills.
Okay, I have the information, now what?
There are several ways you can optimize your chronobiology to make better decisions.
- Read – There are books galore on chronotypes. You can discover the best times to do everything from eat to be intimate…or make decisions. The best time to optimize your decision-making is when your mental performance hits its peak (which may be different from when your physical strength, digestion and social prowess is top notch). Other factors (like we discussed above) include emotional control and energy levels.
- Write – Journaling, data-collecting and the like are super great ways to get personal with your results. A few well-constructed metrics, tracked over time can be invaluable in helping you determine your natural rhythms. This is where your technology (apps, smart watches and other smart stuff) comes in handy.
- Play – every suggestion out there comes with a caveat: you are an individual. Three or four chronotypes for 7.2 billion people gives the obvious statistic that these categories are very broad. Since you’re very specific, it’s important to take each suggestion with a grain of salt. Have a play with one element, track your results and decide how to move forward.
Those are all ways you can put chronobiology to work for you today to begin to level-up your decision-making skills. With all of the information, tricks and tools available right now, why wouldn’t you? It’s a super easy way to help yourself get that promotion or enjoy a deeper relationship or craft a better wellness plan. Whatever it takes to help you vault down that pathway toward your golden future! Chronobiology is here.
It’s super science-based.
It’s growing and evolving as fast as we are.
One last fun fact.
It has been scientifically found that humans who are asked to perform tasks outside of their optimal “window” of mental or physical function are more likely to cheat. Take, for instance, the night owl who sits in a test at 8 am or an early-rising lark who is in that same test at 8pm. Both, regardless of any other factor, are more likely to cheat.
Morality is an aspect of decision-making. One that affects the consequences of our decisions, (remember we talked about consequences earlier?).
PS, It’s important to note that I don’t get any kickbacks from any of these links above. In fact, most of the writers, creators and facilitators don’t even know I exist. I just suggest things that I have done or run across in my research. I do use ph360 in my everyday life and with my clients. I am an endorsed ph360 coach, but I don’t get any money from them for mentioning anything that they do. I just love them and believe in their mission.
I really appreciate you taking the time to read my words. I hope you gleaned a tidbit of information or pleasure…or both!
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