Intentional means acting with purpose and conscious choice rather than by accident, impulse, or external pressure. It describes behavior that is deliberate, thoughtful, and aligned with a clear goal or value.
Becoming Maverick: The Art and Discipline of Decision-Making
On the journey of Becoming Maverick, one truth keeps resurfacing: our lives move in the direction of our decisions.
Destiny is rarely dramatic. It is usually quiet. Built one choice at a time.
Every day we decide what to believe, what to pursue, what to tolerate, and what to let go of. Some decisions feel small. Others feel life-altering. But all of them compound. And over time, they form the architecture of our future.
Maverick living is not about rebellion for the sake of it. It is about intentionality. It is about choosing with clarity instead of drifting with the crowd.
1. A Well-Informed Worldview
Good decisions begin long before the decision itself.
They begin with perspective.
A Maverick cultivates a well-informed worldview — seeking diverse voices, engaging different disciplines, and staying curious about how the world really works. We challenge our assumptions instead of protecting them. We ask better questions instead of settling for easy answers.
When your worldview expands, your decisions mature.
You stop reacting.
You start responding.
2. Mindset: The Inner Environment
Knowledge alone is not enough. Two people can have access to the same information and make radically different decisions.
Why?
Mindset.
Psychologist Carol Dweck popularized the concept of the growth mindset — the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning. This mindset transforms decision-making. Instead of asking, “What if I fail?” we begin asking, “What can I learn?”
A Maverick understands that decisions are rarely perfect. But they can be progressive.
We become adaptable.
We adjust.
We refine.
3. Critical Thinking in an Age of Noise
We live in an information-saturated world. Algorithms amplify outrage. Opinions travel faster than facts.
Maverick decision-making requires discernment.
We evaluate sources.
We fact-check.
We distinguish between emotion and evidence.
We separate popularity from credibility.
Critical thinking is not cynicism — it is responsibility.
Before we accept an idea, we ask:
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Who benefits from this message?
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What evidence supports it?
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What assumptions is it built upon?
Clarity protects your future.
4. Understanding Motives and Consequences
Information is rarely neutral. Communicators often have motives — commercial, political, ideological, or personal.
This doesn’t mean we distrust everyone.
It means we think independently.
We also weigh consequences. Short-term comfort can create long-term regret. Immediate applause can cost long-term integrity.
Mavericks think beyond the moment.
They ask:
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What does this decision look like in five years?
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Who does it impact?
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Does it align with my values?
5. Self-Awareness: The Hidden Multiplier
Research in behavioral science shows how cognitive biases distort judgment. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman demonstrated how we often rely on fast, automatic thinking that can lead to predictable errors.
Awareness of bias is power.
We reflect on:
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Confirmation bias (seeking what agrees with us)
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Fear-based reactions
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Ego-driven choices
The more self-aware we become, the less reactive we are — and the more intentional we become.
6. Independence Without Arrogance
A Maverick is not anti-authority. Nor is he driven by social approval.
He listens.
He evaluates.
He decides.
Independence is not stubbornness — it is thoughtful ownership.
We refuse to outsource our judgment to the loudest voice in the room. We resist social pressure when it conflicts with principle. We build decisions on logic, evidence, and values — not trends.
7. Weighing Benefit and Harm
Every meaningful decision carries trade-offs.
Opportunity always costs something — time, energy, comfort, reputation, or risk.
So we ask:
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What do I gain?
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What might I lose?
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Is this sacrifice worth the outcome?
The goal is not perfection. The goal is alignment.
Alignment between who you are becoming and the choices you are making.
Decision-Making as an Art and a Discipline
Decision-making is both science and art.
Science gives us research, psychology, and data.
Art gives us intuition, wisdom, and lived experience.
The Maverick blends both.
He does not drift.
He does not react impulsively.
He chooses deliberately.
Because in the end, it is not one grand decision that shapes your life — it is thousands of small ones made consistently over time.
Every choice is a brushstroke.
And slowly, patiently, faithfully — a life is painted.
You are not a passenger.
You are the artist.
You are Becoming Maverick.
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