Applying Childlike Decision Making Works For Business.
I’ve never really struggled with making decisions. In most cases, I make them within a split second of being faced with the options. I react fast, make my choice and pursue the path of that choice. Careless? Some of you may say that. I however, don’t think so. You see, you can spend a great deal of time procrastinating over the ‘what if’s, but’s and so on and so forths’. Time can be the worst thing when it comes making decisions. It encourages deep thinking, imagining every scenario possible, hypothesising every outcome possible and it prevents ACTION. Action fuels progress. I am a firm believer that action is the fundamental and foundational key to all success, so I don’t like to waste time in thinking about every possible outcome. Once I’m presented with options, I make my choice and I run with it.
When I make a decision, I make it based on my gut instinct, based on what excites me and based on what lights a fire within within me. I always think to myself that I would rather choose the thing that I really want to do and face the consequence that it may not work out, rather than choosing the the thing I don’t want for sake of ease or for the fact it may be the more safe ‘risk free’ option! The decisions we make don’t always work out how we want them to, but at least if we follow a path that is true to our most inner desires, even if they don’t work out, we learn, and we learn well, because we learn about something we truly care about rather than settling on the path of choosing the ‘easy option’ … either way we win, because the path we choose is based on what feels right, that ‘gut instinct’ so to speak.
As the great Tony Robins famously quotes ‘It is in our moments of decision that our destiny is shaped’, I couldn’t agree more but in order to shape that destiny, choice must be made and in my opinion choice must be made quickly. I am sure I am not alone in this mindset. I know many entrepreneurs and business owners who are successful because of their ability to act fast, make decisions quickly and resolve to pursue the path of that decision giving it everything they have got to make it work. Procrastination while decision making only does one thing in my opinion, it prevents you from choosing what your instinct tells you immediately. Do you remember when you were a young child? I do. As children, we were free from the thoughts that our decisions had multiple consequences. We just made choices quickly, with no fear of outcome. If we were to climb a tree and fall from it, yes, it would hurt us temporarily but we would get back up and climb that tree again and again.
In business, I believe a child-like mindset is the best thing you can have to achieve success. As children, we saw the world only as we could, before life, external influence, school, peers, colleagues, employers told us how it was meant to be. Before any expectation and ideal was put upon us, we were free to dream limitless possibilities where anything really was possible. As a business owner, I have that ability to choose only as I can, with no fear of consequence, because whatever the consequence may be, good or bad, I have it in me to deal with it.
If you struggle with making decisions, think about this: isn’t it better to deal with the consequence of a decision made rather than agonising over the ‘what if’s’ of something that may never happen? All it requires is a shift in mindset to TAKE ACTION based on what you really and truly want, because deep down, you know what that is anyway. Think back to your childhood, to how free it felt then, to decide instantly what you were going to do. I do this every day in business and it works for me. I waste little time. I take action. I make progress and I get results. Try it the next time you need to make a decision. I’d love to know how you get on!
