Decisions

"Think long, think wrong."

My neighbor, a previous firefighter, came walking down the sidewalk, walking his dog, cigar in mouth. He said, "Think long, think wrong," in passing, as he could see I was thinking too hard and too long about a decision. "Excuse me," I thought to myself. I wasn't looking for any advice. Then, I thought, "woah." "That is some good advice." I was standing in my front yard putting lights on my front trees. I was trying to figure out which branch to go to next and I was taking way too long. After hearing this from my neighbor I thought to myself that this is some really good advice to live by.

How many times in our life do we take too long to make simple decisions that won't affect us in the long run? How many times do we think too long. Then, it ends up being the wrong decision because we spent too much time overthinking. How many times do we think for too long and then our lack of making a decision hurts ourselves or others? When this neighbor walked by a second time I asked him where that phrase came from. He told me it was just one of those sayings that they would say in the firehouse he worked at. How many times was he presented an opportunity to make a decision in an emergency situation and his decisiveness or lack there of could have cost someone their life.

I am often very conservative (not a political statement) in my decision making. I'm calculated. I think through my decisions. I consider who is going to be affected and what others may feel or think about that decision. This can be a great thing in some situations, but more often than not, I need to just make a decision and move on. I need to quit getting weighed down. My slow decision making can often be portrayed as indecisiveness. I'm a leader that is responsible for a lot of things and people. This means that I need to make sure decisions are being made in a timely fashion. If I don't make decisions quickly it can create confusion and frustration for those I lead.

I believe there are decisions that may take a little longer to gain all the facts or information so that a good decision can be made, but we have to make sure we are always moving forward. So, what decision do you need to make today? Is it something simple like which branch to put the lights on? Or, is it something bigger like is this a good person to date/marry? Should we move forward with this plan or not? Should your business pursue this endeavor? What is that decision you need to make today. Be smart about it, collect the facts, and then decide. Remember if you think long, think wrong.

1. What's the problem that needs to be solved?

2. Collect the facts.

3. Decide.