Results-based thinking

"Results-based thinking" is a term I use for what is really just thinking ahead. This is a skill that would save people a lot of heartache, disappointment, embarrassment, and unpleasant surprises if they used it more. To greatly simplify the concept we could use phrases like "think before you act" or "look before you leap". But this is something much easier said than done.

I recently saw an TV commercial for auto insurance where the driver is hitting his dashboard to stop a funny noise. Suddenly, the doors and wheels fall off of the car. The statement is made that "Life comes at you fast!" That it does! And this is one of the main reasons it's easier to say "think ahead" or "think before you act" than to actually do it. When a split second decision is barreling toward you at the speed of light, it's much easier to rely on "impulse-based thinking", which is the counterpart of results-based thinking. Some people have used the terms "responding" versus "reacting". Responding implies a pre-meditated action to answer your situation. Reacting is simply automatic response.

Practitioners of the martial arts practice ahead of time so that they can react instinctively, but in a trained and effective way. This is a good analogy for meeting life's choices. You never know when they will hit you and they do come fast. But you can train your mind ahead of time in the way you want to respond. One of the most important things to train yourself to do is consider possible outcomes. The easiest choice right now may hurt you in the long run.

Materialism is one area where I've seen a lot of Americans suffer at the hands of their own choices. We want things. A LOT of things actually, and the easiest way to get them is credit. Using credit translates to debt hanging over your head, and debt severely limits what you can do in your life. I've been in just enough debt to know how hard it is to make progress or get ahead when monthly payments take all your income. That's if life is going smoothly. If an expensive emergency comes along, you could be in serious trouble! Trouble you could avoid by using results-based thinking, resisting your immediate impulses, and considering the long-term repercussions and effects on your life. Make no mistake, when you want something bad enough, this is truly a "battle in the mind"!

That's just one example. This concept applies for everything from what to say in casual conversation to buying a car. The more experience we gain in life, the easier it is to make educated guesses about the future results of our actions. We aren't fortune tellers but we can learn from observing others' mistakes and using our God-given common sense. God was kind enough to include reasoning along with the power of choice when He created us, and I firmly believe we should exercise and use both!