I recently wrote a chapter for the first draft of a book I am writing for you guys (join my pre-release list if you want to know more) about decisiveness. The central message was simple enough: when it comes to leaving work behind, being decisive is good.
However, writing the chapter gave me pause for thought on an issue that I felt was fairly well addressed in my mind. After all, is decisiveness always good?
Let’s first turn to the relevant definition of decisiveness:
Having or showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively.
To me, that seems like a positive thing. It evokes images of people who are in control of their lives. They may not always make the right decisions, but they are always progressing and come out on top most of the time. To quote myself from the aforementioned draft chapter:
In describing someone, when was the last time you heard someone use the word “decisive” negatively? Probably never, because decisiveness is almost always associated with success.
I believe the key word in the definition of decisiveness is “effective.” Decisiveness isn’t merely being quick in your decision; it’s being correct. That being the case, isn’t the whole argument of whether decisiveness is a good thing moot? After all, wouldn’t we all love to make the correct decisions quickly?
With the above in mind, the question I pose to you is this: is it better to act quickly or take your time when it comes to the big decisions in life?
Photo Credit: RCB
Sylverayda says
Hello Tom,
Good question. I think it depends on who you are. I’m the quick thinker, generally, and I feel comfortable trusting my instincts.
For me, not making a decision is a decision in itself – I just trust my gut and and if it says “leave it” I just do. I “feel” more than analyse. I guess many women have this tendency.
Greetings from green Poland 🙂
Tom Ewer says
Hey Sylverayda,
You sound like you know yourself. As long as not making a decision is a conscious act (rather than simply avoiding a difficult decision), I totally agree with you.
Cheers,
Tom
Jawad Khan says
Great post.
I think you need to strike the right balance, like everything else in life, when it comes to decision making.
You need to take all the factors into considerations before making a decision.
But here’s the important part – which I believe is the essence of being decisive – once a decision is taken, you need to fully commit to it. You can’t keep revisiting the other options after every failure.
Tom Ewer says
I think taking “all” the factors into consideration is often what stalls a lot of people. How about just 80% of the considerations? 😉
Totally agree with you about committing to your decision. That is vital (unless you discover that your decision was somehow catastrophically wrong).
Jawad Khan says
Yea 80% would work 🙂
JoDavies says
Love the committing to your decision once it is made comment, and a great post to get people to think about their decisions! Whatever decisions we make, we made them for reasons, and second guessing them after the fact, unless as you pointed out they are completely wrong really does us no good but add more stress.
I personally am a “thinker” v. a quick decision maker… but once a decision is made, I feel good about my process!
Pashtaite says
Nice question Tom:)
I’d be rather simple on this – the most important thing is to realize you need to make a decision in the first place. And then there is no big difference whether ti go slow or quick. Both ways are good, depending on the situation and one’s personality.
I personally have a naturally formed pattern how essential changes take place in my life: first I realize I need to make a decision to change something. Then I make that decision. From that moment on, it seems that everything simply happens the way it was planned, in its perfect time and without struggle.
I am therefore convinced that the most important part of any change is one’s conscious decision:)
Tom Ewer says
I like that approach Pashtaite: acknowledging that you need to make a decision, and that avoiding it is no course of action at all. Then, like you say, whether the decision takes just moments or longer isn’t so important.
Williesha Morris says
I definitely feel like every single decision is worth pondering over. The trouble is when you start second-guessing your decisions after they have been made. My goal is to accept what I’ve been done and be happy with the results, no matter what.
Tom Ewer says
Yep, same for me — within reason. You should ignore second-guessing, but genuine concerns should be addressed!
Debashish says
I like to take my time to make decisions. I usually consider the best and worst car scenarios before making the decision. I don’t usually bother with anything in between because once I have my worst car action plan figured out, I believe things will work out. This process gives me the confidence to move ahead with my decision without any doubt or second guessing.
Tom Ewer says
Yep — as I wrote in another recent post, there’s a lot of value to be taken from figuring out what the worst case scenario could be.
Kirsty Stuart says
Make decisions quickly and change them slowly – if at all! 🙂