Many of the things we like or don't like, do or don't do, avoid or chase after are based on decisions we made years ago. Sometimes they weren't even decisions but just things that happened. Maybe our friends did the same things. Or our partners. And then they become the things we do or don't do. At work, maybe early on in our career, we developed a set of preferences that continue to this day.
Some of these decisions will be right - true responses to our experiences. But some will be more habit and assumption, not really reflecting the reality of our current life.
One of the most powerful things we can do is challenge our own assumptions and un-decide the decisions that no longer fit our life.
To do this, pick an area of your life or work that you want to challenge. For example, your opinion about the people you work with. Then answer the following questions:
- What is you current opinion?
- When did you form that opinion?
- What facts or events led you to have this opinion?
- When was the last time you experienced a similar situation?
- What evidence is there for the opposite point of view?
- When did you last experience this opposite view?
- Is your current opinion accurate or does it need to change?
- If it does need to change, how will you change it?
- What impact will this change have?
Many of the assumptions you have made will be right. But every now and then you will identify an assumption that is not supported by the evidence.
Your small improvement for today is to challenge your assumptions in one area of your life using the questions above.