But this isn’t just another boring “self-help” book; there are enough of those already. This is an online experience that will change the way you think about learning something new:

• Firstly, I’ve decided to publish the content as a suite of personal development cogs. What’s a cog, I hear you asking? Well, “cog” is short for “conversational guide”, which is basically just a series of intelligent questions that guide your thinking around a particular topic. Put another way, if reading a book is like listening to a one-way monologue, using a cog is like having a conversation with the author. That means you get to tailor the teachings to your situation and apply the knowledge in your life. It’s an incredible “virtual coaching” experience you have to try for yourself!

Watch this video on YouTube.

• Secondly, I’ve decided to publish the content in separate parts. Each cog will be like a standalone chapter, which means you can customise your experience by choosing whatever topics you want to explore and leaving out the ones you don’t. Taking what matters and leaving out the rest also means you won’t waste time or money on something that doesn’t apply to you.

The Monumental Life will be released over the next few months. While this is happening, I’ll update the links on this blog and over at Varsity Blah. This means that you might click on an article or a review and find yourself automatically redirected to The Monumental Life instead. Don’t worry about this; I’m making these changes so you don’t waste time reading some of my old material when a newer and better version already exists. You can still use the book reviews in the archive to guide your experience or you can simply sign up today and be the first to know when a new cog is released.

Well, that’s it for now. If you have any questions about anything at all, please get in touch. And if you’re a writer or publisher who wants to learn more about adapting your content the way I’ve adapted mine, please visit www.cognician.com.

At the end of last year, I read several brilliant books on writing: A New Guide to Better Writing, The Elements of Style, The Art of Readable Writing, The Complete Plain Words, The Reader Over Your Shoulder, Made to Stick, and Style. (If you noticed a difference in my reviews of Power Through Repose, The Wayfarer on the Open Road, and Smart Choices, this is why!)

The biggest thing I’ve learned from these books is the importance of creating a proper outline before you write. If you structure your work properly upfront, writing is easy. I guess that’s why I struggled when I tried to edit my book during my four-month sabbatical (i.e. voluntary unemployment) in the middle of last year. I didn’t have much of a plan. Initially, I just started polishing the existing content without taking time to consider if it needed more than just surface work. Then I switched to reading more content to get different perspectives and ideas. Four months later and I was pretty much where I started.

But this time will be different. This time, I’m taking a very thorough approach. I’ve given myself plenty of time to get this done (this is my single biggest goal for the year) so there’s no need to rush. I want to make sure I consider all the possible angles so I end up with something I’m proud of and something that adds value to all of you.

Since my book will essentially be a comprehensive summary of all the personal development articles I’ve ever written (yikes!), this is going to be a long process. I’ll have to read through over 100 blog posts and almost two dozen book reviews. But even though it’ll be the toughest thing I’ve ever done, I know it’ll be worth it. I’m also really excited because I’ll be publishing the book in a way we’ve never seen.

Curious? Then stay tuned for more!

1. Uncertainty – Even though we can’t magically get away from life’s uncertainties, we can still make good decisions. To do that, we must get clear on the different outcomes that could come from our decisions, the chance of each outcome actually happening, and the effect each outcome could have.
2. Risk tolerance – We all have different appetites for risk but should do our best to stay neutral when making decisions. Consider the negatives and the positives as accurately as you can. Then do whatever it takes to manage the risks, whether it’s by finding more information or creating backup plans.
3. Linked decisions – The decision you make could affect another decision later on. But while you must always think of the future, don’t get so caught up in decisions for tomorrow that you ignore decisions for today. Find a balance so you can focus on the decision at hand and deal with the future decisions when you get there.

The Wise Decision Maker

The best way to learn the fundamental skill of making decisions is to get started. Go out and find opportunities to make decisions instead of waiting for life to throw them at you. It’s also good for you to review the decisions you make. That way, you’ll learn what you do well and where you can improve. Some small decisions won’t need detailed analysis but if you get into the habit of structured thinking, you’ll train yourself to handle tougher decisions when the time eventually comes.

Conclusion

Smart Choices was written by three respected academics: one from Harvard, one from MIT, and one from the University of Southern California. Their goal was to develop a structured approach to decision-making and that’s exactly what they’ve done in this step-by-step book. No, their process doesn’t make hard decisions easy, but it takes away the complexity that makes decisions hard in the first place.

Sometimes they get too technical. That’s how they wound up with a confusing sentence like this: “[To] determine a consequence’s contribution to the alternative’s desirability, multiply its associated outcome probability by its desirability score assigned in the first step.” Um, okay. Maybe that works for something like buying a car but it breaks down when things are less concrete. You just can’t put a number on ‘emotional’ things.

In the book’s most interesting section, the authors spend some time discussing the psychological traps we fall into when making decisions. But the only advice they give on controlling our emotions is to be aware of our biases that trip us up. The case studies help a bit but they tend to have arbitrarily happy endings that are detached from the real world.

Another great part in the book is the distinction the authors make between making a good decision and having a good outcome. Sometimes we get angry at ourselves when things don’t go according to plan. But as long as we took the time to make a good decision, we shouldn’t get upset when uncontrollable things happen that badly affect the result. We also shouldn’t be too pleased when we make bad decisions that luckily work out well. The most important thing is to focus on what we can control.

All in all, this is a great book on making decisions. It’s actually been quite fun to stop and analyse the decisions I make. Mostly, I’m just glad to have read the book at this time in my life. Let me explain using the five steps outlined last week:

• Problem – After publishing my twentieth review, I was feeling somewhat jaded. Most of the books were quite similar and spending hours working on reviews every week didn’t seem right when I’d already discussed the topics before. So I asked myself a question: Should I stop? Right away, I understood why this was wrong. The decision was triggered by my desire to do other things. That’s why a better question to ask was this: What is the best way to spend my free time? Now I went from a question that I could only answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question I could answer in many different ways.
• Objectives – The next step was to ask myself why I wrote personal development book reviews in the first place. Why did I start this blog? Well, I’ve always been an intellectually curious guy. I’ve always loved experiencing new and exciting things that stretch my mind and make me deal with what I’m not used to. I also like applying knowledge in ways that improve my life and the lives of those around me. Simply put, I started this blog because I love learning new things and sharing what I learn so other people can benefit too.
• Alternatives – There are so many ways to meet my core objective of learning new things. In addition to reading personal development books, I could spend time interesting people, explore the lively arts and culture scene in Cape Town, take interesting classes, etc. I could then write about these experiences so other people can share what I learn.
• Consequences – When thinking about which alternatives best meet my core objective of learning new things, I realised that reading personal development books is actually quite low on the list. Like I said, I’ve read and reviewed so many similar books that I rarely find something I haven’t found before. But the amount I can learn from the other activities I mentioned is much higher because they’re still ‘fresh’.
• Trade-offs – So, I had two options: stay at home to write book reviews or get out and try new things. Which should I choose? It may seem like a no-brainer; perhaps it is. Of course, there’s no reason I can’t do both. But since I only have so many hours in a day, writing personal development book reviews will have to take a backseat. It just doesn’t meet my objectives in the best way.

That’s why I’ve decided to take a break from this blog. Instead, I’ll continue writing about movies, music, and theatre, something I’ve had a lot of fun doing over the last several weeks. Most importantly, my focus will be on (finally) publishing my new book in 2012. Compared to writing individual book reviews, this is actually much better for sharing what I learn. That’s because it will give me a chance to explore an idea in depth instead of touching on it here and there, over and over again.

Simply put, I know this is the best decision. I took the time to think things through and feel quite comfortable with my new plan. In fact, I haven’t felt this excited about my writing in a very long time. Stay tuned to find out why!

If you enjoyed this post, please remember to Like, Tweet, and Share it using the links at the top or bottom of the page. And remember to subscribe to free alerts or follow me on Twitter to be notified when the next post is released. For more, see The Decision Book.

But what about the bigger decisions? You know, the ones where choosing right means success and happiness and choosing wrong means misery and pain? How should we respond when the pressure is high and we’re afraid of choosing wrong? Unfortunately, many of us give up our power and choose not to respond at all. Either that or we make the decision too quickly, too slowly, or too randomly. It’s only once we’re left with the worst outcome that we see how things could have been better. But then it’s too late.

Making smart choices

The approach in Smart Choices is simple. It’s about breaking decisions into their key parts, figuring out what matters most, and using some structured thinking to reach the right choice. It all happens with the PrOACT system: Problem, Objective, Alternatives, Consequences, and Trade-offs. Let’s look at what each one means:

• Problem: what must you decide?

You can only get to the right answer if you ask the right question. That means you must figure out the exact problem you’re trying to solve. Get creative when defining the problem and don’t be afraid to ask others for their perspective. The best approach is to use an open-ended question so the answer is more than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’. For example, instead of asking “Should I see a movie tonight?”, spend some time understanding what triggered this question in the first place. Perhaps it’s because you have free time and want something to do. In that case, the better question to ask is “What should I do tonight?”. Now you’ve immediately opened things up to a lot more options!

• Objective: what do you most want to accomplish?

Now that you know the question, spend some time understanding what you’re trying to achieve. Write down your concerns about the decision and turn these into brief objectives. These will be your guide. Keep asking ‘Why?’ as many times as you can. For example, you could come up with several reasons for wanting to do something tonight: having fun, seeing friends, going to a new place, etc. These objectives are different for everyone and will change based on the decision problem. So keep digging until you uncover what really matters to you.

• Alternatives: how can you achieve your objectives?

Now that you know what you want and why you want it, figure out how to get it. Get creative and come up with a range of different ways to meet your objectives and solve your problem. It doesn’t matter if they’re ‘unreasonable’ because you’ll evaluate and eliminate later. For now, just imagine what you would do if there was nothing holding you back. Spend some time doing your own thinking before asking other people for suggestions. Then take a break so your subconscious can come up with ideas too. To continue with our example, you would now come up with all the ways to have fun. These will include the original idea of going to the movies plus a number of other options like going out to dinner, having coffee with a friend, watching TV, reading a book, or anything else you like!

• Consequences: how well do your alternatives satisfy your objectives?

It’s important to take your time when coming up with alternatives (as long as you’re not just doing it to avoid a decision). But there’ll come a point where you have enough answers and must stop searching for the ‘perfect’ one that doesn’t even exist. Now you have to evaluate each option by accurately describing the consequences. To continue with our example, let’s say you come up with several options for what to do tonight: go to the movies, go out to dinner, have coffee with a friend, watch TV, or read a book. Now rate each one on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how well it achieves the objective of having fun. You can also apply a less structured process by imagining you’ve already made the choice. How would you feel? Some options will clearly be inferior, in which case you can eliminate them right away. What you’re left with are the ones that could work.

• Trade-offs: which alternative best fulfils the objectives?

Different alternatives will achieve different objectives. But since you can’t do them all (at least not at once), you have to choose which alternative achieves the objectives best. If you only have one objective, that’s easy. But since few decisions are no-brainers, you’ll have to prioritise. Rank your objectives from most important to least important and then go with the alternatives that best achieve those. For example, if your main objective is to have fun and your secondary objective is to keep within a budget, an option like going to dinner with friends would be better than staying at home and watching TV. That’s because spending more money would be worth it since you’d be having more fun. Doesn’t that sound nice?

If you enjoyed this post, please remember to Like, Tweet, and Share it using the links at the top or bottom of the page. And remember to subscribe to free alerts or follow me on Twitter to be notified when the next instalment is released. For more, see The Decision Book.

1.      “To aid in righting the wrongs that cross our path by pointing the wrongdoer to a better way, and thus aid him in becoming a power for good.”

It’s easy to see other people do wrong and want to punish them for it. But it takes a wise person to understand that what we do (behaviour) and who we are (character) are two different things. The best approach is to help wrongdoers see that they are so much better than their bad deeds. That’s because seeing the good in other people helps them see that good too. Yes, there are times when we have to take action and lock people in jail, but there’s no reason why this can’t be done with compassion and love.

2.      “To recognise the good lying at the heart of all people, of all things, waiting for expression all in its own good way and time.”

Even though it might not always seem like it, “each life is divine at its centre”. As long as we have patience and faith, this will become clearer at the right time. That’s why it makes no sense for us to judge other people. Again, it’s like judging a seed for not yet being a tree. So instead of criticising others or wasting time in gossip, let’s find the good in ourselves and talk about that.

3.      “To do our own thinking, listening quietly to the opinions of others, but to be sufficiently men and women to act always upon our own convictions.”

While it’s important for us to love and respect everyone, it’s also important that we never love or respect anyone too much. This might make us blindly follow others when we should follow ourselves instead. We should set our own standards, make our own mistakes, and live our own lives. That’s the only way life is worth living at all.

Robert Louis Stevenson said it well: ‘‘If you teach a man to keep his eyes upon what others think of him, unthinkingly to lead the life and hold the principles of the majority of his contemporaries, you must discredit in his eyes the authoritative voice of his own soul. He may be a docile citizen; he will never be a man.”

This doesn’t mean you should be stubborn in your beliefs. Sometimes it’s fine to go with the flow on smaller matters if that’s what it takes to maintain peace (and provided nobody gets hurt). It just means you should live your life however you feel is best and not based on what other people think. Never be afraid to go your own way.

4.      “To remain in nature always sweet and simple and humble and therefore strong.”

Many of us dream of fortune and fame. But living a simple life is a beautiful thing for us and for the world. So let’s be grateful for what we have. And if we ever strike it rich, let’s never forget our roots. Let’s never forget that what we have and what we’ve done are not the same as who we really are.

5.      “To love the fields and the wild flowers, the stars, the far-open sea, the soft, warm earth, and to live much with them alone; but to love struggling and weary men and women and every pulsing, living creature better.”

When is the last time you looked up at the stars? Our lives are so busy that sometimes we forget to stop and appreciate all the beauty around us. Any time alone, whether it’s half an hour meditating or a long retreat in the woods, is key to living a healthy life. It’s also the best way to appreciate the things you have and the people you love.

6.      “To know that the ever-conscious realisation of the essential oneness of each life with the Divine Life is the Greatest of all knowledge, and that to open ourselves as opportune channels for the Divine Power to work in and through us is the open door to the highest attainment, and to the best there is in life.”

When the whole world is spinning out of control, it’s hard to find peace and stability in outside things. That’s because the only lasting source of peace and stability comes from within.

As you spend time in quiet reflection, you understand that everything is connected. This means all the experiences we have (even those that seem to be against us) are for a greater good. We may not see it now, but we’ll understand it one day. All will be well in the end.

Conclusion

Ralph Waldo Trine wrote The Wayfarer on the Open Road in 1918. In some ways, it seems as though he had already said all he wanted to say in the books he wrote in the previous 20 years. That’s why this one feels like a quickly compiled summary. The ideas are not organised very well and many of them either mix up several ideas at once or repeat the same idea mentioned before.

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. If you take it as a whole, it’s quite inspirational. I’ve tried to simplify the ideas and change the order so that they build on each other. Why not apply one idea a month for the next year, just like I did with the ten perfections? It just might be your best year ever!

If you enjoyed this post, please remember to Like, Tweet, and Share it using the links at the top or bottom of the page. And remember to subscribe to free alerts or follow me on Twitter to be notified when the next review is released. For more on the subject, please read my review of The Mastery of Destiny.