Decision Making: End Of Day Thinking

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”
~ Tom Robbins ~

In the last post I mentioned the importance of the 38 Second rule by trusting your training and your subconscious, understanding that the gestalt can sometimes tell you all that you need to know. But to contrast this, I also mentioned how the most challenging decisions should sometimes be the most informed decisions...

Often, especially when time permits, it is best to let your decision making "slow-brew" into your subconscious which will allow you to think things over...another excerpt from Dr Groopman's amazing book, "How Doctors Think" provides us with an example:

Dr. Jeffrey Tepler is a hematologist and oncologist in private practice at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Tepler states the following: "I always go back and read the literature with almost every patient who has a nuanced clinical case, a variation of a diagnosis...I try hard to stay on top of my game."

"It's hard to think deeply about patients at the moment when you are seeing them. You need some quiet time to reflect and formulate a cogent opinion," states Dr Tepler.....

Dr Groopman then goes on to say, "For that reason, he (Dr Tepler) often tells patients that he wants to think more about their cases rather than immediately offer a treatment plan. He routinely leaves his office around eight-thirty or nine at night, devoting the end of the day to thinking. "