Indecision and delays are the parents of failure. – George Canning
Decisions, decisions. Which one goes better with which outfit?
What does that mean?
Indecision and delays. These are the things that keep stuff from getting done. When you can’t make a decision, when you can’t act promptly, that’s what’s going to keep your project on the drawing board when you should be busy making things happen.
When you don’t get things done, it’s hard to succeed, right? As the opposite of success is failure, if you don’t get things done, you’re going to end up failing, and sooner rather than later. Not being able to make quick and clear decisions will hobble any project, whether it be at home or in business. If you’re an employee, you’re going to be going down the ladder, not up it. If you’re the boss, your business will be doing the same thing. That’s not good!
Why is decisiveness important?
“I’m not sure. Maybe you should come back and ask again tomorrow.” Not a very good or satisfying answer, is it? Decisiveness, according to thefreedictionary.com is defined as “Having the power to decide; conclusive.” In my experience, it also has the implication of being quick, but not rash, in coming to a conclusion. Decisiveness is the ability to look at a decision, and in an appropriate amount of time, come up with a final answer.
The whole point is to do your homework, figure out what the options are, weigh the benefits and the risks, that which is known and unknown, and then come to a firm conclusion. Decide, with neither delay nor haste. While wisdom will have a ‘Plan B’ in case the decision was incorrect or overtaken by unforeseen events, you are still committed to the decision, until experience teaches you otherwise.
Where can I apply this in my life?
How many of you have know a wishy-washy, can’t make up their minds, type of person? You ask them how they are feeling, and they say they’re kind of ok. If you ask them what they like to eat, they give vague and general answers. If you ask them to make a decision, they go back and forth between the options, either extolling the virtues of each, or noting the flaws of each (and sometimes both).
How much do they get done? Does anyone look to them for leadership, or as a key player to make things happen? I haven’t see that happen, have you? Now that doesn’t mean they are useless, they may have critical skills, but on their own, they’re going to have trouble succeeding if they always act that way, right?
What are the things that keep you from being decisive? What are the things that make it hard for you to decide? What are the things that cause you to put off making a decision? Grab some paper and write down a list of the things that keep you from being decisive, for whatever reason.
Take a moment and look at the list and see what you have. Mine are reasons revolving around confidence and knowledge. What are the central themes of your list? Take a moment and come up with words that cover several items at the same time, and see if you can find words that cover at least half of them at once. That’s something worth working to overcome, isn’t it?
In my case, the biggest reason for me to delay making a decision or starting a project is a lack of knowledge. I prefer to be fairly certain of the result before I start. I have been learning that there are many times in life where there is no such thing as adequate preparation.
In an emergency, there is no time to gain more knowledge or skill, you have to make do with what you have. I’m not comfortable, but I’m getting better at deciding and moving forward, in spite of my trepidation and concerns. It’s not fun, but it must be done is something you might tell yourself in those situations.
For me, the biggest reason for indecision is uncertainty of my ability to complete the task, or to make the correct decision. Sometimes, it just takes a little practice (like disassembling a car), or someone on the phone for a life-line (replacing the rear suspension). Other times, it helps to read about something, or have someone there to lend a hand, or at least drink beer and laugh when you goof up.
What were the themes you came up with relating to your times of indecisiveness? Pick one and consider what you can do to help reduce the indecision. Can you find someone to help guide you or help you do it? Can you find a mentor, someone who’s been there before? Is it a lack of self-confidence or a lack of knowledge? There are cures for both of those in books at the library, right?
There is a lot of excuses for not doing things, for delaying, and for wavering. But that’s not the kind of action that gets things done. Those actions are the parents of failure. Their opposites, however difficult they may seem to be, are the best chance you have at moving forward, to succeed.
It’s said good things come to those who wait, but a bird that sits on the ground, unsure of where to look for worms, and putting off the decision, they’re going to be hungry. Don’t be a hungry bird. Look at the information you have, make a decision, examine the results, and figure out if you need to come up with a better plan. Repeat until failure gives up.
From: Twitter, @ninagarcia
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgecann183460.html
Photo by in pastel
Happy Birthday to George Canning, born 11 April, 1770
