PDF Summary:How to Make Great Decisions, by Mike Schmitz

For many of us, the process of discerning life's biggest decisions can quickly descend into an agonizing morass of self-reflection and second-guessing. In How to Make Great Decisions, author Mike Schmitz offers an alternative approach—one rooted in surrender to God's plan rather than our own desires.

Schmitz challenges readers to shift away from typical self-focused discernment toward an outlook of service and self-donation. He explains the tiers of vocational calling, the crucial role of daily action, and practical tools for evaluating choices through the lens of divine purpose. Ultimately, Schmitz implores us to move forward with courage, allowing God's presence to illuminate our path.

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• Implement a "Role-Reversal Exercise" once a week where you mentally switch places with someone affected by your daily responsibilities, such as a colleague or family member. Reflect on how your attitude towards these tasks might impact them, which can enhance your empathy and improve your discernment in handling responsibilities.
• You can enhance your daily routine by assigning a specific intention to each task you undertake. For example, when you're cooking dinner, consciously think about nourishing your body and caring for your family's health. This mindset can transform a mundane activity into an act of love and purpose.
• Develop attentiveness by engaging in a daily 'sensory walk' where you focus on one sense each day and note your observations. This could mean focusing on sounds one day, sights another, and so on. By doing this, you train your mind to notice details that you might typically overlook, which can sharpen your discernment in everyday situations.
• Engage in a creative activity like painting, writing, or playing music with the intention of expressing your spiritual experiences. This can serve as a non-verbal way to connect with and understand the divine influences in your life. The act of creating something can be a form of meditation and can open up new pathways for divine inspiration to flow.

The Importance of Decision-Making and Action in Discernment

Schmitz challenges the notion of passive discernment, emphasizing that genuine discernment necessitates more than simply endless pondering and waiting for obvious signals. He argues that discernment calls for activity, urging readers to move forward with the information available, trusting that through taking steps, further clarity will be revealed.

True Discernment Calls for Action, Not Just Endless Pondering

Schmitz emphasizes that discerning isn't passive; rather, it demands action. He warns against falling into the trap of overthinking and seeking constant reassurance, explaining that true clarity often emerges through taking concrete steps in a particular direction. The author encourages readers to move forward with the information available, having faith that a higher power will guide their steps as they proceed.

Discernment Without Decision-Making and Follow-Up Is Fruitless

Schmitz emphasizes that discerning isn't merely an intellectual exercise but requires a willingness to decide and take concrete steps based on the insights gained. He explains that without translating our reflections into action, discernment remains theoretical and ultimately unfruitful. The author encourages readers to embrace the obligation of decision-making as an integral part of the discernment process.

Context

• Without action, discernment can lead to analysis paralysis, where overthinking prevents progress. This highlights the importance of moving beyond contemplation to achieve goals.
• Moving from reflection to action often requires an emotional commitment, as decisions can involve risk and uncertainty, necessitating courage and resilience.
• Decision-making grounded in discernment often involves ethical considerations, ensuring that actions align with moral and ethical standards.

Move Forward Even if Unsure—It Will Help You Find Clarity

Schmitz acknowledges that taking action can be daunting, particularly when uncertainty lingers. However, he emphasizes that waiting for absolute certainty often leads to paralysis, preventing us from embracing the very opportunities God offers us. The author encourages readers to move forward with courage, having faith that the Divine will honor their willingness to step out in faith, though the path ahead is not fully illuminated.

Practical Tips

• Create a 'fear-setting' exercise to confront uncertainties head-on. Inspired by the Stoics, list out the worst-case scenarios of the action you're considering, how you could prevent them, and how you'd recover if they occurred. This can help reduce the fear of the unknown by making it known. If you're contemplating a career change but are worried about failing, outline what failure might look like, steps to prevent it, and how you'd bounce back or pivot if it happened.
• Implement a "learning by doing" approach for new skills. Instead of trying to learn everything about a skill before starting, begin practicing it immediately and learn as you go. For instance, if you want to learn to cook, start by making a simple recipe tonight rather than watching more cooking shows or reading recipes online. This hands-on experience builds confidence and competence more effectively than waiting for full knowledge.
• Engage in a monthly "courage challenge" with friends or colleagues. Each month, come up with a new challenge that requires you to act courageously in a social, professional, or personal context. This could range from public speaking to trying a new activity that intimidates you. Share your experiences and insights with your group to create a support system that encourages continuous personal development and clarity through collective courage.
• Create a "Faith Opportunity" jar where you write down potential opportunities on slips of paper each time you think of one. Once a week, draw one slip from the jar and commit to pursuing that opportunity, no matter how intimidating it may seem. This random selection process can mimic the unpredictability of life's opportunities and encourage you to trust in the process without overthinking.

Determine Your Path One Step at a Time

To address a common point of confusion, Schmitz clarifies that discerning multiple vocations simultaneously is unwise and counterproductive. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on our current commitments and understanding our present reality rather than becoming distracted by hypothetical futures.

Simultaneous Discernment of Multiple Vocations Is Unwise

Schmitz addresses the common tendency to juggle multiple possibilities during the discernment process, explaining that this approach typically leads to confusion and indecision. He emphasizes that attempting to assess multiple paths simultaneously dilutes our focus and hinders our ability to distinctly perceive divine guidance.

Practical Tips

• Set a "possibility cap" for each decision you face. Before diving into research or contemplation, decide on a maximum number of options you'll consider—perhaps three or five. This self-imposed limit can prevent the overwhelm that comes with endless possibilities and help you to focus on evaluating a more manageable set of choices thoroughly.
• Implement a 'one project' rule for a month. Choose one personal or professional project to focus on exclusively for 30 days. During this time, track your progress and note any improvements in your focus and outcomes. This experiment will show you the benefits of concentrated effort and can help you develop a habit of single-tasking in the long run.

Prioritize Present Commitments, Not Hypothetical Futures

Schmitz encourages readers to ground themselves in the present moment, prioritizing the discernment of their current relationships, commitments, and responsibilities. He warns against becoming overly preoccupied with "what if" scenarios, emphasizing that God is most present in the now and will disclose His intentions in His own time.

Practical Tips

• You can create a "Present Moment Reminder" by setting random alarms throughout the day. When the alarm goes off, pause whatever you're doing, take three deep breaths, and focus on your immediate sensory experiences. This could be the feel of your clothes, the sounds around you, or the sight in front of you. The randomness of the alarm acts as an unexpected prompt to bring your attention back to the now.
• Implement a weekly "commitment consolidation" session where you review your calendar and to-do lists to identify overlapping or redundant tasks. Look for ways to combine errands or appointments to save time and reduce stress. For example, if you have multiple meetings spread throughout the week with people in the same area, try to schedule them back-to-back on the same day to free up other days for focused work or relaxation.
• You can set a "worry timer" to confine your "what if" thoughts to a specific time each day. Choose a 10-minute window during your day when you allow yourself to consider all the "what if" scenarios. Outside of this time, whenever a "what if" thought arises, write it down and postpone pondering it until your next worry timer session. This helps compartmentalize your concerns and keeps them from overwhelming your day.
• Engage in a daily practice of "now-focused" meditation for five minutes, where you concentrate solely on your breath and the immediate sensations you are experiencing. This practice doesn't require any previous meditation experience. Simply find a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on the present moment, letting thoughts of the past and future fade away. This can help you cultivate a deeper sense of the divine presence in the now.
• Start a small garden to cultivate a tangible experience of growth and revelation over time. Gardening requires patience and trust in the natural process, mirroring the concept of waiting for divine timing.

Practical Tools and Questions For Discernment

Schmitz provides a clear framework for understanding God’s call in our personal journeys, offering helpful queries and emphasizing the importance of aligning our actions with our desire to follow God’s will. He underscores the importance of grounding ourselves in divine favor through regular sacrament of reconciliation and prioritizing a daily practice of prayer.

Discernment Begins With Examining Grace and Spiritual Practices

Schmitz emphasizes that authentic decision-making is rooted in a personal connection with God. This connection flourishes through regular practices like prayer and frequenting the sacrament of reconciliation. He suggests that before diving into complex questions about our future, we should first examine our mindset and daily practices.

Grace and Prayer as Foundations

Schmitz underscores that discovering God's will isn't about deciphering cryptic signs but about cultivating a deep, personal relationship with Him. He reminds readers that staying in God's grace through regular confession and cultivating a consistent prayer life are foundational to hearing God's voice clearly.

Practical Tips

• Journal your thoughts and feelings after each prayer session to track your spiritual journey and the clarity of your thoughts over time. Writing down your experiences can help you reflect on your progress, notice patterns, and become more attuned to the subtleties of your inner dialogue, potentially making it easier to discern external guidance.

Neglecting Confessing and Prayer Hinders Hearing the Voice of the Lord

Schmitz warns that neglecting the spiritual disciplines of prayer and confession hinders our ability to perceive God’s voice. Just as static interferes with a radio signal, so too can unconfessed sin and a lack of prayer create distance between us and the Divine, making it challenging to perceive His guidance clearly.

Context

• Different cultures and religions have unique approaches to prayer, each with its own rituals and significance, which can influence how individuals perceive and experience spiritual communication.
• The practice of confession has historical roots in various religious traditions, where it is often seen as a way to maintain spiritual health and community harmony.
• From a psychological standpoint, unconfessed wrongdoing can lead to feelings of guilt and shame, which may affect one's mental state and ability to engage in spiritual practices effectively.
• Regular prayer can encourage personal growth by prompting individuals to reflect on their actions, seek forgiveness, and strive for improvement, fostering a deeper spiritual connection.
• Engaging in regular spiritual practices can also have psychological benefits, such as reducing stress, increasing feelings of peace, and enhancing overall well-being.

Evaluating if a Choice Is Good, Wise, and Desired

Schmitz introduces a four-part framework to help guide readers through the often complex process of evaluating potential decisions. He suggests asking oneself whether the decision aligns with God’s moral law (goodness), if it’s a realistic option (openness), if it aligns with one’s gifts and God's purpose (wisdom), and if it’s a path we genuinely desire to pursue.

Goodness: Is This Choice Morally Permissible?

Schmitz’s first question— "Is this the right option?"—encourages us to examine the moral implications of our choices. He emphasizes the importance of aligning our decisions with divine law and teachings, ensuring that our actions reflect our identity as beloved children of the divine.

Practical Tips

• Develop a "Consequence Map" for complex decisions. Before making a significant choice, draw a flowchart that outlines the potential outcomes and who might be affected by each. For instance, if you're considering changing jobs, map out how this decision might impact your family, your current employer, and your personal growth.
• Create a decision-making flowchart that incorporates ethical checkpoints based on your spiritual beliefs. Start by identifying common decisions you face in daily life, then map out a flowchart that includes questions or checkpoints that reflect divine law or teachings. For example, before making a purchase, your flowchart could include questions like "Is this product ethically sourced?" or "Does this purchase support values I believe in?"

Openness: Is This Path Actually Open to Me?

The next question—"Is this opportunity accessible?"—asks us to consider the practical realities of our situation. Schmitz explains that even good and holy desires must be weighed against the constraints of our circumstances. An unavailable option, while potentially disappointing, indicates that the divine may be directing us down a different path.

Practical Tips

• Use a "Three-Step Desire Assessment" before committing to new goals. First, write down the desire and why it's important to you. Second, list the constraints you're currently facing. Third, brainstorm ways to achieve a modified version of your desire that fits within these constraints. This process encourages you to think creatively and find a balance between what you want and what's possible.

Wisdom: Align With Gifts, Circumstances, and the Divine Purpose?

The final question—"Is this a sensible door?"—invites us to utilize both our intellect and intuition in the discernment process. Schmitz explains that this step involves prayerfully considering how a particular decision aligns with the gifts God has given us, our present circumstances, and God's greater purpose for our lives.

Practical Tips

• Apply the "sensible door" concept to your daily routines by mapping out your activities and identifying any that don't contribute to your overall objectives. For example, if you find that scrolling through social media is taking up a significant portion of your day without adding value, it might be time to close that door and redirect your time to more fulfilling activities.
• Create a "Pros, Cons, and Feels" chart for group decision-making. When collaborating with others, have each person list the pros and cons of a decision intellectually, and then add a 'feels' column where they can express their intuitive responses. Discussing this chart as a group can lead to a more holistic decision-making process that honors both logic and emotion.
• Engage in a monthly "Gifts Audit" with a trusted friend or mentor. Discuss the major decisions you've made over the past month and explore how they have either harnessed or ignored your gifts. This collaborative review provides external perspectives, which can help you identify blind spots in your decision-making process and reinforce the habit of considering your gifts in future choices.
• Implement a "circumstance check-in" routine where, before finalizing any significant decision, you pause and list the current circumstances that could affect the outcome. Discuss this list with a friend or colleague to gain different perspectives and ensure you're not overlooking any important factors.

Desire: Is This the Right Path for Me?

The final and perhaps most challenging question—"Is this a door I want to walk through?"—highlights God’s deep respect for our freedom. Schmitz emphasizes that God desires our willing cooperation, not blind obedience. The author encourages readers to honestly assess their desires, recognizing that a lack of genuine desire, even for seemingly good and holy pursuits, might suggest reconsidering a particular path.

Practical Tips

• Create a small group focused on shared interests to cultivate willing cooperation. This could be a book club, a sports team, or a hobby group. The key is to make decisions together on what books to read, where to play, or what projects to undertake, thus practicing collective decision-making and cooperation within the framework of each member's freedom to contribute.
• Use a decision-making app with a feature that forces you to wait before acting on a desire. For example, when you feel an urge to make a purchase or a significant decision, input it into the app, and set a timer for 24 hours. During this waiting period, the app could provide prompts to help you assess the desire's origin, potential impact, and alignment with your values. This pause can give you the space to consider whether the desire is honest and worth pursuing.
• Implement a "Trial Period" for new pursuits where you commit to a short-term experiment before deciding to continue or pivot. For instance, if you're considering a career in graphic design, take an online course for a month to gauge your passion for the subject before making any significant changes to your career path.

The Process of Discernment and Doorways

Schmitz uses the metaphor of a doorway to illustrate the different stages of decision-making. He encourages viewing decisions as opportunities to step through doorways, recognizing that God’s presence awaits beyond them, even if mistakes are made along the way. He encourages us to step out in faith, even when uncertainty lingers, trusting that God will lead us towards His intended destination.

Discernment Entails Examining Possibilities or "Doors"

Schmitz uses the metaphor of an entrance to represent various life choices and vocations we encounter throughout life. Each door represents a potential path, inviting us to carefully determine if we should step through it or continue seeking elsewhere.

Discernment: Actively Choosing, Rather Than Delaying for Divine Guidance

The author emphasizes that discerning God’s will is not a passive process, waiting for a booming voice to dictate our next steps. He explains that God communicates in more subtle ways, often inviting us to actively participate in discovering His plan by exploring open doors and making choices based on prayerful consideration.

Practical Tips

• Create a daily 'subtlety journal' to record moments that might be perceived as subtle communications. Each day, jot down any unusual occurrences, coincidences, or feelings that stand out to you. Over time, review your journal to identify patterns or messages that may not have been apparent in the moment.
• Engage in a weekly nature walk without any electronic devices, using the time to connect with your surroundings and observe the natural world. Pay attention to any sensations, emotions, or thoughts that come up during these walks. Nature can often serve as a catalyst for experiencing a sense of guidance through its patterns, rhythms, and unexpected encounters with wildlife.
• Create a vision board that represents your aspirations and what you believe might be your part in a larger plan. Use images, quotes, and symbols that resonate with you and reflect on how these elements connect to your life goals. This visual representation can serve as a daily reminder and inspiration, helping you to make decisions that align with your perceived purpose.
• Set up a monthly "Exploration Day" where you commit to trying something new that aligns with your interests or values. It could be volunteering for a cause you care about, attending a community class, or even starting a small project. The key is to engage in activities that you wouldn't normally do, opening yourself up to new experiences that could be the open doors you're looking for.
• Set up a "discernment corner" in your home where you can engage in prayerful consideration without distractions. This could be a small table with a comfortable chair, some inspirational texts or symbols of your faith, and perhaps a notebook to write down thoughts that come to you during prayer. Use this space regularly to contemplate decisions, big or small, and see how it affects your clarity and peace of mind.

Trust in God’s Presence Beyond Unopened Doors

Schmitz offers reassurance by highlighting that even when doors close, the divine presence remains a constant. He explains that while some doors may not open due to timing, circumstances, or another person’s discernment, we can trust that God is always present, guiding us towards opportunities that better align with His plan for us.

Practical Tips

• Start a daily practice of writing down moments when you felt a door closed in your life, followed by any positive outcomes or feelings of support that followed. This could be as simple as noting when a job opportunity didn't pan out, but then recognizing that it led to a better position or more time with family.
• Create a 'Plan B' portfolio for your most important goals. For each major goal you have, develop an alternative plan that takes into account a closed door scenario. For instance, if your goal is to become a published author and you face rejection from publishers, your Plan B could involve self-publishing or serializing your work online. Having a tangible set of alternative steps ready can make you more resilient and less discouraged by closed doors.

Caution Is Needed to Avoid Paralysis In Decision-Making

Schmitz cautions against allowing fear of the possibility of "wrong" choices to paralyze us into inaction. He reminds us that while good judgment calls for prudence, it also demands courage, urging us to act on the insights we receive, even when some uncertainty may remain.

Perfectionism and Fear Can Prevent Action

The author acknowledges that the urge to make the "ideal" choice can often stem from a place of fear. He warns that this fear-driven perfectionism can lead to inaction, causing us to miss opportunities that God is placing before us.

Context

• Societal pressures and cultural norms often equate success with flawlessness, reinforcing the need for perfection to gain acceptance or approval.
• This mindset can paralyze decision-making processes, as individuals may overanalyze options to avoid perceived negative outcomes, leading to procrastination.
• Chronic perfectionism can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and mental health issues, as the constant pressure to achieve perfection is unsustainable over time.
• Fear can manifest as anxiety about making the wrong choice, leading to a paralysis that prevents any decision from being made. This is often rooted in a fear of failure or judgment.

God Desires Our Trust and Cooperation, Not Just Perfect Perception of His Intentions

Schmitz emphasizes that God is not looking for perfect discernment but rather for those who are surrendered to His will and trusting in His goodness. He encourages his readers to move forward with courage and humility, knowing that even if mistakes occur along the way, divine mercy is sufficient to redeem any missteps.

Practical Tips

• Implement a "Flip the Coin" exercise for minor decisions to practice releasing the need for control. When faced with a small, inconsequential choice, flip a coin and trust the outcome, acting on it without further analysis. This could be as simple as choosing a lunch spot or selecting a book to read. The randomness of the coin flip helps you to let go of the urge to discern all possible outcomes and instead trust in the process.
• Start a daily practice of identifying one thing that went unexpectedly in your day and reflecting on any positive outcomes or lessons learned. This can help reinforce the belief that there is goodness in unforeseen events, fostering a mindset of trust over time.
• Create a "Humility Jar" where you place a note every time you practice humility. This could be when you admit a mistake, ask for help, or acknowledge someone else's contribution. The physical act of writing and placing the note in the jar serves as a reinforcement of the value of humility. As the jar fills, it becomes a visual representation of your commitment to humility.
• Implement a "second chance" policy in your personal or professional life, where you consciously give people an opportunity to rectify their mistakes without judgment. For instance, if a friend forgets an important event, instead of reacting negatively, offer them the chance to make it up in a different way, thus practicing the principle of mercy in your relationships.