I almost got hit by a car a few moments ago.
During my evening walk I crossed the street. Someone making a left turn tried to cut me off. I walk fast. He swerved around me at the last second. Thank goodness I paid attention.
He made a reckless decision that could have put him in prison based on the speed and sheer neglect of his actions. He made a flat out reckless choice.
But most people sway in the opposite direction. Society generally hesitates with fear at the prospect of making choices. Most people sit on the sidelines in a constant state of analysis paralysis. Waffling, over-analyzing and dawdling cripples most folks into never making important, life-changing choices.
How can you guard against being reckless while avoiding hesitant tendencies?
Find the midway point between both. Be decisive.
Be Decisive
Decisive people acquire a sufficient amount of information to make a confident decision. Rewind 10 years. I had been laid off from my security guard job and had no idea what I wanted to do next.
After doing a fair amount of due diligence over 2 weeks I decided to be a blogger. Did I recklessly buy my domain and hosting after 5 minutes of hurried research? No I did not. Did I spend 4 months dragging my feet? Nope.
I informed myself enough to make the choice to become a blogger. Being decisive put me on the path to become a professional blogger who circles the globe.
Surround Yourself with Decisive People
I have a few powerful friends who cultivated the habit of being decisive. They do not play around, hesitate or delay in making decisions.
Being decisive became easier because I simply learned from observing successful people how you need to get enough information regarding a decision then make your choice fast.
But never be reckless. Successful people give some deliberate though to virtually all endeavors because you cannot fly blind and make wise, informed decisions.
Find the halfway point between being flat out reckless and fear-paralyzed hesitant. Make decisions swiftly, boldly and confidently, with enough knowledge to fuel your clarity.
Fear Not Making Bad Decisions
Expect your decision-making ability to improve over time. I hesitated like a fraidy cat for years because I feared making bad decisions that would hurt me in the long run. But erring a bit on the side of being rash gave me a sense of calm confidence in myself and in my decision-making ability.
Be more afraid of not making a decision at all versus suffering through making poor decisions. With practice, your decisions will improve, as will your decisiveness.
Stop Sitting on the Sidelines
Stop allowing life to pass you by. Feel good about being in the game.
Make a decision after acquiring enough knowledge to make your decision. Don't be foolishly reckless but never be paralyzed into analysis paralysis either.
Literally, you cannot do life wrong. Choose, learn from your experiences and feel fulfilled as you step toward your dreams.
