The OODA loop model, otherwise known as “the decision cycle” was developed by US Air Force Colonel John Boyd as he sought to help pilots with their decision making process when in air combat.
Although this model won’t turn you into a fighter pilot, the core principles to better decision making are applicable to anyone. Like pilots, people from all backgrounds and cultures will find themselves in pressurised, emotionally dense, serious situations that require precise, meaningful decisions.
To explain how to make better decisions, let us first look at Dark, a German time-travel science-fiction drama on Netflix.
The show dips in an out of multiple timelines, showing characters interact with different versions of themselves and their loved ones. The characters are constantly making decisions with massive consequences in the present day and in all other timelines.
There’s one quote that stands out the most. One of the main characters, Jonas, is speaking to Marta:
“Why do we say that?”
“To have time. […]”
“How can you have time when it clearly has you?”
Time does control us – we’re simply along for the ride. But that doesn’t mean our journey is without aim. When making better decisions, utilising your time is perhaps your most effective tool.
