The Success Decision - Will You Make the Cut?

It has been said that success is a decision.

Okay - but what is a decision?

The word 'decision' derives from the Latin root verb, scindere, which means to cut. Other words that we will recognise which make this more obvious are in-cision and circum-cision (both of which involve cutting). The word scissors also derives from this verb.

In making a real decision then, we make a judgement between a number of options and 'cut out' / eliminate all but one of the options, which we then fully commit to. So often however, we tell ourselves or others that we have 'decided' on a particular course of action, when in fact all we have done is expressed our preference at a point in time. Classic examples of this would be so-called 'decisions' to lose weight, quit smoking or change careers - all things that we frequently hear that our acquaintances have 'decided' to do, but have not achieved because they mentally left the option open NOT to follow through. We should view decisions as 'turnstiles' through which we pass; non-return events - no going back.

It has also been said (and is an observable fact) that successful people make decisions. Does this mean that more of the decisions they make are correct? Not necessarily. What it does point to though, I suggest, is that successful people are comfortable making decisions - even if they prove to be wrong ones. They know that a wrong decision is better than no decision at all! Indecision is a recipe for confusion and mental overload. Great organisations are built by leaders who make decisions. In the absence of decision making, an organisation quickly falls into a state of paralysis.

On our road to success, we often seem to face the same decisions over and over - why is this? Is it because we did not make a proper decision in the first place and therefore, in our minds, we have left other options open on the matter? We agonise over making that mental 'cut' with some of our available options - believing that they may offer us some security if we make the 'wrong' decision.

Decision making is like a muscle. Exercise it and it will be sore initially, but it will grow new tissue and become stronger. Eventually, you won't even notice that you are exercising it regularly. This is when you have learnt to trust your instincts, given yourself permission to make mistakes but above all - decided to succeed.

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