Carl Richards is a Certified Financial Planner™ and creator of the Sketch Guy column, appearing weekly in The New York Times since 2010. The following article is reproduced with permission from his weekly newsletter and his website can be found here.
Greetings, Carl here.
Tell me if this sounds familiar.
You go to make a decision. At first, it seems relatively simple and straightforward. But then you do some research. You read reviews, ask friends, make pros and cons lists, and consider edge cases and nuance. Suddenly, your simple decision is so complex, you feel like you’re in the middle of a giant ball of yarn and can’t get out.
I used to think when I found myself in the complex middle that I had done something wrong. But now I realize it’s actually part of the decision-making process. It’s supposed to be confusing.
We’re supposed to spend time in the complex middle.
The question is, how do we get out of there? The answer is, you get quiet.
After you’ve done the research, after you’ve done the homework, after you’ve considered the edge cases and the nuance… just get quiet.
For some people, that may look like sun salutations. For others, it’s prayer or meditation. For me, it’s often as simple as moving through the mountains.
I take that problem to my quiet place, and then I feel my way through.
I ask myself: “What feels right?”
And again, it’s important to emphasize that you’re relying on what feels right after you’ve done the research… not instead of, but after the messy middle.
So next time you’re in the messy middle, don’t despair. Remember that it’s a necessary step between simplicity and elegant simplicity.
-Carl
P.S. As always, if you want to use this sketch, you can buy it here.
