This week is a culmination of months of work and it made me realize how much more simple it is to make a decision, than to not make a decision.
One of my partners called me last Thursday with an idea. I loved it, I acted on it, made some calls, and we mapped out more detail yesterday. The meeting with the client is this week.
Obviously it doesn’t always work out this smoothly – as you know – but it feels good to have the discipline to know when you have a good idea. And most importantly you know when to take immediate action.
Procrastination is simply what we use to avoid making a decision. Money, time, or resources can be reasons but we must insure we aren’t getting the way. Put it off until tomorrow, next week, next quarter, take it off the list. If it was that important, it would be a priority.
If I told you that there was $1 Million in cash signed over to you, in a safety deposit box in Boston, how fast would you get there? We delay decisions because we don’t want to make them or we haven’t instilled the importance of them to the others we may be working with or need to act on those decisions.
Doesn’t it drive you absolutely crazy when you leave a meeting where nothing is resolved? Millions of those meetings occur every single day. We often blame some omnipresent person for the lack of progress, but we all need to take responsibility. This is one of the reasons many of my friends and colleagues are running their own companies now and not working for someone else. They grew tired of inefficiencies while great ideas were being lost.
Ask this question after each meeting or connection: Who does what by when? Which is immediately followed up and followed through.
There is that project, that thing that you are staring at it every day. It’s bugging you. You know it’s a good idea but you keep putting it off. And the best part is when you use the integration model and include all parties, action doesn’t need to rest solely on your shoulders.
Pick up the phone, book the meeting, make a decision. Today.
...oh, that reminds me!
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