Consider this passage from a historical biopic documentary on Netflix:
“His daily stroll was an important ritual. It was here, gazing at the Bavarian mountains, that he took all his momentous decisions. Before he could feel certain about anything, he needed weeks, sometimes months, of unbroken inactivity.”
Who do you guess these words describe? A philosopher? A statesman? An artist? Maybe a political activist?
Surprisingly, these words describe Adolf Hitler’s decision-making habits at his Berghof residence, as depicted in the documentary ‘Hitler – A Career’. This was his process prior to critical decisions, including the invasion of Poland – marking the full-scale beginning of World War II.
When it comes to delaying decisions, there are three distinct, qualitative “wait states”:
Belief Entrenchment:
- Here, people like Hitler delay decisions primarily to protect and strengthen their existing narratives and beliefs.
- Delays become echo chambers where internal biases are repeatedly confirmed, making the beliefs dangerously entrenched.
- The ultimate outcome is a false certainty, leading inevitably to catastrophic overreach. In such scenarios, genuine clarity shrinks as risks multiply.
Rumination/Procrastination:
- In this state, individuals delay primarily to avoid discomfort.
- The delay becomes an escape – an endless cycle of spinning through “what-if” scenarios without ever settling on anything.
- Often, this emotional inertia is mistaken for perfectionism, but it leads nowhere.
Decision Clarity Window:
In contrast to previous states, here the delay is adaptive and purposeful.
- People delay specifically to gain clarity – pausing deliberately to test assumptions, gather concrete data, and pay attention to changing bodily signals.
- It’s structured reflection using frameworks like STOP from Mindful Productivity, ensuring a conscious and thoughtful approach.
- This approach enables you to set clear deadlines for gaining enough clarity. At that point, you’re empowered either to confidently decide against a particular choice or to embrace a regret you can comfortably live with.
The difference between these states isn’t subtle.
At one extreme, Hitler’s entrenched beliefs directly contributed to the loss of 80 million lives in WWII. At another, procrastination in everyday scenarios creates persistent frustration, indecision, and missed opportunities.
This is precisely why building Mindful Productivity skills, such as the Decision Clarity Window, is so valuable. Mindful Productivity isn’t merely a feel-good concept, its foundations are rooted firmly in psychology, mindfulness, and evolutionary biology, helping individuals and teams consistently make informed, thoughtful decisions.
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🍪 Fortune Cookie:
“Delay is neutral. The reason you delay is decisive.”
Better decisions don’t just happen. They’re practiced, supported, and shared.
The Decision Clarity Window is just one of many powerful skills within the Mindful Productivity framework designed to help you and your teams make better decisions.
If this resonates with you and you’re interested in enhancing your team’s decision-making – at work or in life – consider hosting me for a Mindful Productivity workshop. I’ll customize the training to meet your team’s specific needs and goals.
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Nikhil Kabadi 