My (Unconventional) Method To Decision-Making: How Fasting Helps Me Navigating Difficult Career Choices
It Works 10/10
I made two very difficult choices in my career thus far.
The first one was leaving my position at a highly regarded organization.
I did it to pursue my dream of finding a fully-remote job that would allow me to travel the world, all without having another job lined up and with meager savings:
A couple of years down the line, I faced a second very difficult choice:
Leaving said “dream job” that allowed me to travel anywhere in the world, again without another job lined up and a clear plan ahead.
Before taking both decisions, I followed an unconventional ritual:
I fasted for a couple of days.
Why Fasting?
I first discovered the benefits of fasting a long time ago from a famous Italian doctor who discussed its anti-tumoral benefits on TV.
It wasn’t until a few years later that I understood how I could leverage fasting, especially during particularly busy or stressful periods in my life or when making difficult decisions.
How?
- As fasting enhances cognitive performance, it helps me cut out the unnecessary noise and tune in to my inner thoughts, enabling me to understand my true desires and execute my planned steps.
- Despite an initial increase in irritability, fasting improves my self-confidence and provides me with the courage I need to stick to my plan thanks to the release of endorphins and other neurochemicals in the brain.
- Additionally, as making such decisions often comes with a lot of anxiety, fasting helps me keep it at bay and prevents me from eating my way through my emotions.
However, fasting as a tool is not something new.
On the contrary, fasting has been a common practice in many religions around the world, often used as a means for self-reflection, developing spiritual discipline, and improving focus.
The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras is also said to have been an advocate of fasting.
He was known for his intellectual pursuits, but he also recognized the value of fasting. Particularly, Pythagoras believed that abstaining from food for a period of time enhanced mental clarity and promoted a deeper connection with the universe.
He even required his students to fast before entering the classroom to sharpen their minds!
Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced, convenience-driven society, the practice of fasting has often taken a back seat to more immediate solutions.
It’s a missed opportunity to harness a practice that has the potential to provide profound advantages for our overall health and wellness.
Final Thoughts
Ever since I first began experimenting with this practice, I’ve experienced its amazing benefits across various aspects of my life: increased energy, improved focus, greater determination, reduced procrastination, and a more optimistic outlook.
In recent years, I’ve discovered that fasting can be incredibly helpful during particularly stressful or worrisome situations, such as when making significant decisions like quitting a job. Among the aforementioned benefits, fasting’s effects are twofold: it helps me gain clarity before making a decision and empowers me to execute that decision with grit and a steady mind.
Have you ever given fasting a try?
This article is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and it’s exclusively based on the author’s experience. It does not provide dietary or nutritional advice.