Successful People are Decisive in Nature

by Tim Whiston

Published on this site: August 23rd, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Many entrepreneurs have an aversion to committing themselves to definite action. This is understandable for a variety of reasons.

First of all, getting started on a concrete objective tends to diminish some of the excitement. When we sit and daydream about what we hope to achieve with a given venture, we are able to tap into a wonderfully abstract sense of unlimited potential. But a goal that has been put to paper, or a project that has been started represents a more grounded, and often not-so-sexy reality that somehow has less appeal than the fantasy version. Such is life.

I usually have a great time in the first concept stages of a new e-book, for example. I often find myself in the car with the radio on, thinking about how great it's going to be to help thousands of struggling net marketers get a grip on their direction. It's always a nice feeling to just imagine the kind of success I will achieve with a new project. How many copies might I sell, and how many emails will I get from people who just loved the book and really benefited from reading it?

Then suddenly, the time comes to sit down at my desk and draw up an outline for the actual structure of the project. (Awwww shoot.)

It's almost always more fun to think about all the "what-ifs" than it is to actually roll up our sleeves and get to work. But the choice is simple:

We can drift through la-la land with no tangible direction and lose money until we go broke. Or we can buckle down, make some plans, then take action on those plans and realize a profit.

Another reason many people avoid the process of taking direct action is the simple fact that it can be scary business. It takes a lot of nerve to commit to a course of action and keep working toward your objective come hell or high water.

But the thing to remember is your plans can always be changed down the road. A goal simply represents the focusing of your intention on a specific objective, and is not some rigid, unforgiving contract that is chiseled in stone.

Mike Filsaime once told me that successful people are able to follow their intuition and make decisions quickly. The direction of these decisions can then be changed appropriately as the need arises.

Unsuccessful people, on the other had, have the habit of taking forever to commit to decisive action, but are then likely to change their direction very quickly. In essence, these folks are afraid to act, and then when they finally work up the nerve to make a decision, they bail out if things don't work out for them in the first ten minutes.

Decide right now to trust your intuition and plot a course for your future without fear or hesitation. Have confidence in your ability to choose your own destiny, and great things will be in store for you.