People who fail to succeed, without exception, have the habit of reaching decisions very slowly and of changing their decisions very slowly.
Some never decide at all, but live in the misery of their indecisiveness. Indecision is a habit acquired in youth, and it unfortunately follows many people to the grave. By nature and habit, these people are usually easily influenced by the opinions and advice of others. They tend to accept this outside advice because subconsciously they want someone to share the blame should a failure result or the decision cause them problems.
Remember this: opinions are the world’s cheapest commodity. If you are easily influenced by the opinions of others, you will never have an honest desire of your own.
Procrastination is the opposite of decision. It is a deadly enemy that each of us must conquer if we want to be in control of our own lives. My favorite definition of procrastination is “suicide on the installment plan.”
Doubt is another obstacle that keeps people from making good decisions. Doubt is usually the result of a lack of self-knowledge and self-confidence. When people know who they are, where they stand, and where they are going, self-confidence is assured and good decisions will follow. William Shakespeare had this to say about doubt: “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”
The world will stand aside for a person who can make a decision and take action. Once someone breaks through a barrier, everyone else believes that it can be done.
Each of us has the potential for achieving greater success. Rid your mind of limitations, and let the larger YOU come through. You will never know what you can do until you have tried. Nothing is too good to be true.
Other people will never be as excited about your goals, dreams and ambitions as you are. Even your loved ones and close personal friends will think of dozens of reasons why you shouldn’t or couldn’t do something. Be very selective when you seek advice about what you should or should not do.
In his book, Your Greatest Power, J. Martin Kohe wrote that our greatest power is the power of CHOICE. We can choose to be happy or sad, positive or negative, caring or mean, enthusiastic or dull. Here are few things you can do to help you know you are making good decisions:
- Have written and specific goals. When you know where you stand, where you are going and how you are going to get there, you will usually make the right decision.
- Use clear, objective thinking. Ask yourself penetrating questions about what you want, why you want it, what it will look like etc. When you answer these questions honestly, the right decision will become apparent.
- Tune in to your “feeling” on the matter. When you have written and specific goals and have used clear, objective thinking, it is time to trust your instincts.