ALMOST v. CERTAINTY
Sunday Apr. 15, 2018
Looking back gives guidance to moving forward.
Sometimes.
My history has been ‘think it through quickly, decide, act and then pay for my decision – sometimes in cash, often with anguish – because regret always shows up much later’. And recurs years later at each reminder of times I did something stupid or wasteful.
I mean, I would like a nickel back for every dollar I’ve wasted on hasty decisions. Things, services, printing, misadventures, products – in advancing some half-baked business strategy, new venture or adventure.
Yet it seems there are two sides to that memory/regret v. non-regret coin.
Because so many of my ‘best things done’ started that way – quick decisions, immediate action and things worked out well.
But how many did, and, is that the best way to decide?
Easy enough if it is an article idea – a few keystrokes, a pages printed off is a small investment of time and a zero investment of money. My riskiest and best adventures began that way, so I have faith in those choices, those beginnings. As my life has less time ahead of me than it does behind me, I’m not anxious to waste a lot of time doddering over a choice.
Or, as two-handed man said, “on the other hand” – there is value and plenty of lessons in hesitation, which is not to mean going slow is either / or, good or bad, but hesitation until the choice is right, real and really important. And then, you know. I mean, YOU JUST KNOW. And then it’s easy.
I don’t know if I’m making better decisions, but some things have been working out better lately.
