Go Ahead – Just Make a Decision!
What important decisions have you been putting off? A lot has been made in the press recently about President Obama’s difficulty making a decision. He’s been accused of “leading from behind,” and more disheartening is the news that as of yesterday, he’s continuing to blame the previous president for the challenges he’s facing. I had lunch yesterday in Dallas with Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Church. Prestonwood is one of the great churches in America, and I don’t know of any other pastor who’s leadership has inspired so many ministries and business ideas that have gone out of that church to impact the world. At lunch we were discussing a recent sermon series Jack preached on the subject of “choices.” Jack believes that circumstances, situations, and relationships are all important, but nothing impacts your life as much as the choices you make. In short – your choices determine your destiny.
Stop blaming others, putting things off, or hoping things will change. Make a decision. Make a choice. Decide.
What choices do you need to make to move your life to the next level? I recently met a couple who just signed their divorce papers – even though they split up 12 years ago. They just couldn’t make the decision.
Others have been passed over for raises and promotions – not because they weren’t qualified – but because they simply couldn’t decide what to do.
Think about the choices you need to make today. In my book “Jolt!” I dedicate an entire chapter to making good choices because decisions are so important.
Think about it. Get the facts. But as some point. Don’t be afraid to make a decision.
What decision have you been putting off that you need to make? Let me know…
I had been putting off my writing. Actually launched the blog today. Really enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the good work.
That’s the spirit David! Good choice!
I’ve been trying to decide whether to comment on this blog post. (Happy Belated Birthday, by the way)
Indecisiveness has many roots. Sometimes fear. Sometimes personality type. Often self-delusion.
Fear of being wrong is a common issue. A supportive organizational culture can help. An organizational culture bound in fear can make decisiveness an undesirable trait. Wait for the “leader” to decide. No initiative will go unpunished.
To encourage decisive team members you have to be willing to accept mistakes and even applaud someone’s willingness to make a decision and risk failure.
The football quarterback must be encouraged to make quick decisions. The quality will get better with experience. Excuse a further sports analogy, but referees must also make quick decisions.
One key in getting to a decision is the willingness to accept 100% responsibility for your choices. As you said, not blaming, deflecting, but being 100% accountable for every decision. People who embrace accountability are usually good at making decisions. Others spend too much time trying to figure out an advance exit strategy in case they are wrong.