All decisions are important but some are more than others and as irrational as it is, many procrastinate on the important ones more than they do on others.
Why? Because people know that big decisions make big changes and have big consequences. Before committing there is always that voice that is asking "is this really the right way?".
Even worse...
Many (and I mean MANY) procrastinators avoid even thinking about decisions and wait for a time when all the required information is present so that they can make the decision and make it right. This is of course an illusion.
There is a price for waiting! Deciding to wait is a decision itself and one that doesn't do much good when time is pressing.
Highly successful people have been studied for more than a century now, even before Napoleon Hill started investigating his famous 25 year research. There is a consistent pattern that emerges from these studies. All the highly successful people are quick decision takers. They know how to take decisions and focus more on quick decisions than right decisions. They all realize that more often than not they can change course afterwards.
How can we take quicker decisions and stop procrastinating on decisions themselves.
1) Realize that waiting has negative, not positive consequences. I realize there can be many exceptions to this, however, here I am referring about the kind of waiting that is done out of laziness rather than a conscious decision that follows an examination of facts.
If you have not even started examining the facts there are things you don't know on the issue and get this ... What you don't know, will hurt you!
2) Realize that decisions are a choice between 2 or more things. This is one of those obvious things many miss because it is obvious. Last week I had a person who asked me to help him with an issue he has been procrastinating on.
"I must really decide to tell her" he exclaimed!
"What is the alternative?" I enquired
"What do you mean?" he replied
"You said you must decide to tell her" I explained "Whenever you make a decision you make it between two things or more; so what are the alternatives to telling her"
"Ahh, I see" he realized. "So I have not decided because I am waiting for an alternative. Which probably doesn't exist"
"Keep going" I encouraged
"So my real choices are telling her quick, or delaying." he reasoned "and I have been deciding to delay. I was taking a decision all along, but the wrong one"
" You're Sharp" I pointed out, to encourage this line of thought.
"And I'm waiting for a better time and the right words which will never come on there own, if I delay she will want to know why I haven't told her quicker, and if she finds out on her own--- DISASTER. This problem is best tackled while it is small" He concluded.
This brings us to the next few hints.
3) Realize that each one of the choices has consequences.
4) Realize that when you wait, that is also a choice with consequences
5) Realize that taking quick decisions is a matter of looking at consequences and proceed on the path that will have the best consequences . It is that simple, but you need to look at them.
6) Realize that it is ok to make mistakes, taking the wrong decision will give you a worthy lesson which you would have otherwise missed.
7) Realize that without decision there are no commitments and without commitments there are no positive results.
Mark Mifsud
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