Decisions: The Cost of Indecision

Is indecision stealing your time? Think about all the time you have wasted on indecision and prolonging processes because you didn’t know what to do. Since you can’t decide what to do, you don’t act at all and then procrastination sets in like arthritis in the brain. The problem with indecision is it will steal your time, sap your energy, create anxiety and produce stress in your body.

“Indecision is fatal. It is better to make a wrong decision than build up a habit of indecision. If you’re wallowing in indecision, you certainty can’t act – and action is the basis of success.” ~ Marie Beynon Ray

I’m not suggesting you become impulsive and make rash decisions. What I am suggesting is to make informed, sound decisions. Take your time back and focus it on deciding to ACT. Decisiveness is a skill that can be acquired. If your past is plagued with poor, impulsive decisions or analysis paralysis giving birth to procrastination, don’t fret! It is simply time for you to get out your comfort zone and learn a new skill. Every time you learn a new skill and apply it, you are taking the pen back from your past and writing the future you desire.

RCAPPA will help you take a few simple steps to becoming a better decision maker.

R = RESEARCH is the 1st Step in decision making.

In the world of Google, information is at your fingertips. Find reputable blogs, articles and case studies to help you expand your range of knowledge on the topic. Books.google.com provides a comprehensive index of published books on a variety of topics FREE! An important decision is worth investing time to do the research.

C = COUNSEL - Wise input is vital to avoiding common mistakes.

Seek wise counsel. Seek out people in your life who have successfully navigated some of the same obstacles you are struggling with now. I am a firm believer in being uniquely who you were designed to be in life and not a carbon copy. This means that another person’s road is not necessarily your road but you can get ideas from their experience, learn from their mistakes and devise a course of action true to you. This may be an employer, co-worker, grandfather, mentor, or life coach.

A = ANALYZE the research and counsel you receive but be careful to avoid analysis paralysis.

Analyze the information you have gathered through research and conversations with people you respect. Having a life vision will help you to determine what information is right for you. Clarity on your principles, values and goals will help you easily determine what does not fit into your life vision. Brainstorm multiple options. WRITE DOWN the pros and cons; don’t just think about it, write them out. The process of writing it out will get your critical thinking muscles going. Look at the scenario from different angles. Let your brain work for you, but DON’T LIVE HERE. This will help you make the best decision you can based on the information available at the time.

“Even if things do fall short and the decision turns out to be not so great, you stand to learn so much more from making a bad decision than you do from not making a decision at all. After all, failure is life’s greatest teacher.” ~ Richard Branson

P = PLAN for decisive action but not impulsive reactions.

Now it’s time to make a decision and plan out a course of action. Oftentimes, we fail at what we are attempting to do because we never put together a plan. In your plan, you want to think of possible obstacles that may detour your course of action. Then think of ways to overcome those obstacles and even turn the obstacles into an opportunity. Sometimes it is as simple as how you look at it.

The difference between planning and preparing is this:

The plan for dinner is to make spaghetti.

The preparation is going to the grocery store and getting the ingredients.

The obstacle is my kitchen is a mess.

The opportunity is I get to teach my children responsibility and being a team player by having them clean the kitchen while I’m at the grocery store.

P = PREPARE to WIN!

The plan is knowing what you want to do and the preparation is how you are going to do it. You can now prepare to execute your plan with tasks that are focused and intentional. Get detailed. Line it all out step-by-step; thinking it through with the information you researched. What resources need to be acquired and how much time will be needed to execute the steps?

A = ACT on your decision and expect great results.

When you’re well-informed, received good advice, planned, and prepared you will be able to make confident action steps with stride. When you anticipate your obstacles and are prepared to overcome them, it will defeat inaction due to fear. When you utilize the process of RCAPPA your actions are in sync with where you are trying to go and it destroys the hamster wheel effect.

Stop killing time with indecision. Indecisiveness will create stagnation and mediocrity in your life. Are you ready to live? Then make a decision to act and move forward into an exhilarating life. Your success is on the other side of a decision to ACT!

“Sometimes it is the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” ~ Keri Russell

Check out this phenomenal video: Stop Killing Time