Predetermination

Waiting to hear from graduate programs? Imagine you are accepted to all: know where you would go.  Trying to avoid an ex? It's not a question of "if," but "when," he will try to contact you.  Prepare your speech, or better yet, decide now to ignore the call. Did you just get into a bike accident and have a broken arm? Have an advanced directive in your wallet so that the ambulance knows to take you to a hospital that is under your insurance coverage.

We should make our decisions ahead of time.  If we don't, emotions will skew our decisions.

Case in point: You've paid the fees, signed the waivers, and are now flying at 20,000 ft, clutching the airplane door: a parachute strapped on your back, a trainer by your side.  At that moment, do you consider the risks of skydiving, the dangers, the potential complications?  Do you perform cost-benefit analyses, consult your best friend on the phone, research the tips and tricks online?  

Of course not.  You rally your nerve and take the plunge. You made the decision to skydive long before the moment when you are confronted with the choice.  You remember your original motivations and you choose the path that your resting, logical state desired.

PS: I don't think we'll ever be free from our emotions, nor that we should.  They offer insight into our subconscious and we should embrace them for that alone.  I've been a performing artist on stages for 20 years.  I still get dry mouth, anxiety, sweaty palms, tremors, etc, before every show.  

But I'm glad I'm nervous.  Those signs tell me that I'm doing something special, something important.  If I'm nervous, it's because I care about the outcome.  I care because there's something in that event that I value.  And in a world of ever-increasing apathy, it's vital to identify your values and hold onto them.