Embracing Your Circle of Competence - Because You Can't be Right

Have you ever made a choice with the greatest of intentions only to discover that it had an extraordinary result than you had anticipated? Putting effort into something just to have it not go as intended can be frustrating and demoralising. 

But what if I tell you that you do not have complete control over how your decisions turn out?

It is real. You have no control over the outcome of your activity, no matter how wisely you choose your course of action or how sensible your choice is. Although embracing this reality can be difficult, doing so can lead to a more contented and tranquil life.

Consider this: Why stress about your decisions if you have no influence over how they will turn out? 

Instead, how about concentrating on the decisions you make? Let us acknowledge this - the best we can do is to spend time and effort deciding what to do based on the best knowledge we have at that given moment. 

The Stoics referred to it as the "circle of competence." In simple terms, instead of attempting to exert control over things that are outside of our sphere of influence, the Stoics said we should concentrate our attention and efforts on these areas.

But let us delve further into this. The circle of competence emphasises the significance of accepting one's own limitations and cultivating self-awareness. We can make wiser decisions and take more efficient action if we are aware of what is in our immediate vicinity.

The Stoics believed that acting within our sphere of competence allowed us to match our actions to our capacities. It aids us in avoiding trespassing into our areas of inexperience, which might create errors or poor decisions. Instead, the emphasis is on utilising our knowledge and playing on our abilities in order to make wise decisions.

The idea also promotes asking for advice or yielding to others when dealing with issues that are outside of our sphere of influence. It encourages humility and an eagerness to pick up knowledge from individuals who are proficient in a certain profession. By doing this, we encourage collaboration and progress while avoiding potential hazards.

By using the circle of competence to guide our decision-making, we may concentrate on making decisions that are consistent with our values, skills, and capabilities. In this process, let's be candid about what we know and what don't know.

But what if things don't go according to plan? Can we be so sure that if we consider a certified financial advisor or career counsellor, the result of our action is bound to be in our favour? 

Here, it can be tempting to doubt ourselves and think about what we might have done differently when the results of our decisions are not what we had anticipated. This, however, is a waste of our time and effort.

Instead, let us consider what went right and wrong and utilise that information to guide our future actions. Keep in mind that you are not in the right unless it proves to be such. Therefore, stop punishing yourself for events that are beyond your control.

Choosing to focus on our actions rather than their results can lead to a happier and more tranquil life. When making decisions, the Stoic concept of the circle of competence can be useful, since it enables us to base our decisions on our knowledge and skills.

We have complete power over our decisions. Therefore, why won’t we use the knowledge at our disposal to make the best decision we can, and have faith in the results?