Think Quick!
Hello!
In continuing my “12 Things Successful People Do”, here’s the next item on the “to do” list:
They take decisive and immediate action.
As I take a sip of my scalding coffee (bad decision), I begin to wonder what this “successful item” really means to me.
All the way up into my teens (and probably still now if she were alive), my grandma sang a verse from “The Saga of Jenny“:
“Poor little Jenny, bright as a penny, but she couldn’t make up her mind.”
So, to this day, when I am having trouble making a decision, I sing that line. It can be a decision as simple as where to eat dinner or something larger like, should I move across the country. Here’s a typical scene:
Friend: Jenny, you can pick where we eat dinner. Your choice!
Me: Er, well ok…
In my mind, I’m thinking, “Oh geez, where should we eat dinner? Sure, leave the decision up to me! If I pick this place, my friend may not like it. Or if I pick the other place, they may like it but I won’t. Oh, the first place is too expensive but it’s tastier. If I pick the wrong place, my friend will be annoyed and then I will feel really bad and the dinner won’t be any fun and we should just not even go out in the first place…”
I find my decisions hard to make due to:
- What others will think
- Second guessing myself as to what I really want
- What is going to be “better” for me (maybe not as fun or what I really want)
I realize that making decisions a lot of the time really is a “proactive” behavior. (WikiHow has a decent article about how to be proactive read here).While some decisions are definitely “reactive” if you’re under pressure, you still have to think “proactively” to make the right choice. Am I on the right path here?
And, it’s a decision to act immediately!
But, how can you be sure the decision you make is the right decision?
It’s all a learning experience. And, from all this decision making and immediate action taking, we learn and grow. And, this is ultimately what makes us more successful in the end.
How will you make decisions and take immediate action today?
Love the latest iteration in the Jenny Journey! I totally get caught up in indecisiveness too and it’s totally because I don’t want to stir up conflict but so much of that fear is completely unfounded. I personally have been mulling over what we’ve learned from 7 Habits as well. If we are effective people, we can confidently share our opinion and then collaborate with another when they respond to find a win win. I’m working on this right along with you Jenny!
The Jenny Journey–that’s catchy!
you’re right–so much of that fear is unfounded. If we try to challenge ourselves together, others will follow. Ok, bring on the constructive criticism today!
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