“The opportunity is often lost by deliberating.” – Pulilius Syrus
Have you ever let a great opportunity slip through your fingers because you took too long to act? I know that I have.
Personally, I am a thinker. I am a processor. I don’t typically make quick decisions. When people see me make a “quick” decision, especially on something that seems random, most of the time it isn’t. I wasn’t being spontaneous…I’ve probably thought about doing that/purchasing that item for a long time, thought about the pros/cons of the decision, then pulled the trigger after a lot of deliberation.
While that can be a positive in many cases, sometimes taking too long before acting is the wrong decision. If you are waiting for the perfect price or the perfect scenario, guess what? It’s never going to get here. Even when everything is “just right,” when it comes, will you be able to see it? Or will you wait for an even more perfect scenario? IF that time ever comes, somebody who is more decisive will have already swooped in and you will be out of luck.
Practice making quicker decisions on trivial actions. Don’t spend too much time (wasting brain power and further empowering your slow decision-making habits) thinking about the clothing you’re wearing, the food that you’re eating, or the workout routine that you’re planning. Instead, come up with rules or guidelines to simplify your life.
For example, one of my rules is that I don’t eat fast food. Now, if someone asks me if I want McDonald’s, the answer is a quick “no.” I don’t have to spend time debating on if I want it.
You can come up with all sorts of rules to simplify your life. For your exercise or work attire, you can say that you only wear certain colors. Or, with your existing wardrobe, that you only wear “x” colored shirts with “y” colored shorts/pants, and “z” colored shoes. That way, whatever pair of shorts you select, you have already limited what shirts you’re “allowed” to wear, thus quickening your decision making.
If whatever action you’re about to take fits within your rules, then you have permission to do it. If it doesn’t fit within the rules, you aren’t allowed to do it. Don’t waste your time, mental energy, or willpower by having these internal debates about what you should or shouldn’t do.
Act swiftly in the non-important situations to get in the habit of making quicker decisions. This will help you in two ways. First, you’ll be used to making quicker decisions. If you are currently a slow-decision maker, is it possible that that’s the case because you are afraid of making the wrong decision? If so, being able to make quicker decisions in your everyday life will give you more confidence in your decision making ability. Second, because you are no longer wasting your time, mental energy, and willpower on decisions that don’t really matter, you will have more of those resources available to you for the actions that do matter.
Sometimes you have to slow down and think things over. But it’s important to be aware of when you need to slow down versus when you need to not overthink things. Don’t miss opportunities because you spent too much time deliberating.