Decision Doctor

Are you in Future Shock?

"... future shock is the human response to overstimulation."

"Different people react to future shock in different ways ... These symptoms range all the way from anxiety, hostility to helpful authority, and seeming senseless violence, to physical illness, depression and apathy. Its victims often manifest erratic swings in interest and life style, followed by an effort to ‘crawl into their shells’ through social, intellectual and emotional withdrawal. They feel continually ‘bugged’ or harassed, and want desperately to reduce the number of decisions they must make.” Alvin Toffler; Future Shock (1971)

If you are overwhelmed with the amount of information around you, the number of decisions you face, or the overwhelming number of “red, yellow and green” traffic lights flashing in your life, perhaps it is time to consider a Decision Doctor.

For the past thirty years, members of the ABLE Crew like Dr. Brent Dennis, Susan Werspann and Les Whitney have been asked to guide people to make better decisions. On an ABLEQuest, people become ABLE Navigators about the decisions they face.

Leading “A Balanced Life” requires volunteers–not victims. To make better decisions, ABLE Navigators chart their course and stay their course. They do not ignore, deny or blame others for their fate or the facts on hand.

One way to prevent Future Shock is to ask five Decision Doctor questions:

• What do I have? Volunteers scan their assets before their liabilities. We focus on reality calmly-it is what it is.
  
• What do I want? Most people don’t know what they want and are certain they haven’t got it. Whatever we desire, something new means new responsibilities.
  A new love life and a new job are worthy goals. Are we willing to be responsive and responsible for what we gain?
  
• What am I choosing to do? Volunteers exercise their free will or volition to master changes and choices. They know that small contributions are better than endless cynicism. If we are on a diet, we choose to eat the salad or ice cream.
  
• Is it working? Let’s face facts. Is eating the ice cream helping me lose inches?
  If the choice is working, do more. If the choice is not working, stop! Insanity is repeating the same pattern and expecting a different result.
  
• What do I have now? We make the best decisions we can at the time. With new information or perspective, the next decision we make will also be the best one we can make at that time. What we have now is another chance to apply this Decision Doctor tool to lead a balanced life.

To prevent Future Shock, should I use the Decision Doctors advice?

As Harvey Cox said, “Not to decide is to decide.”