The Myth of BIG decisions

Chapter #12. from "Start Now. Get Perfect Later" (paperback launches this Thu & bonuses below) 

People think decisions take years; they don’t. People think decisions are huge; they’re not. People think decisions are single events: they rarely are. 

A single decision takes a split-nano-second. It’s just all the leading up to that decision that takes all the time and energy. It’s the noise and doubts and fears and second guessing yourself and voices and how others will judge you, that cloud or drag out the single, split-nano-second decision. All the things in your head that took days, weeks or even years, were all just preparation for the decision, and much of it is unnecessary distraction. 

A single decision is small. It is a single, unique thought; a tiny spec of energy in your brain. And then it’s gone, replaced by the next. It is estimated that an adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day (in contrast a child makes about 3,000). This number may sound absurd, but in fact, we make 226.7 decisions each day on just food alone, according to researchers at Cornell University (Wansink and Sobal, 2007). And according to Tony Ablewhite of the Puzzler Mind, the average person makes 773,618 decisions in a lifetime, but lives to regret as many as 143,262 of them. You can’t make this many big decisions in your life, your brain would melt out of your eye holes. 

A single decision isn’t really a single decision. What you perceive as a single or big decision, is actually a build up of many small preceding decisions. If you’ve been in a relationship break up, you don’t go from ‘in love’ to ‘over’ in a nano-second. There are months or years of smaller questions and decisions that compound towards what you perceive to be a big, single decision. But all the ones before it already made that decision. Even if you find out, out of the blue, that you’ve been cheated on, there are still many decisions that come between ‘happy’ and ‘over’. In fact, many people decide to stay in the relationship, but they need to keep re-making that decision daily. Others make the decision, but go back on it months or years later. 

People put so much weight on single decisions like they are bigger than they really are; that they are the be all and end all of life. It doesn’t help you to make smarter, faster and bigger decisions, if you give them more weight and size that they really have. Think BIG, but start small. 

Success is not a single decision. It is a decision to “Start Now. Get Perfect Later”. Once that decision is made, which is quick and easy, (only) then a series of decisions along the journey are sparked off. Some of those decisions are good ones that build on good ones, and others are bad ones that set you back a little. Keep deciding forward. Sometimes you just need to fail forward fast. Diminish the weight of importance of big decisions by chunking down to each small-step decision. 

The ‘Eureka’ moment so often seen in films of that revelatory ‘a-ha’ moment of inspiration and genius, in the bath or shower, is mostly good story telling and fodder for media. Most people, even the ones we hold in the highest regard in society, don’t have single ‘Eureka’ moments. They make 100s or 1000s of decisions that build into this perceived single breakthrough idea, like the apparent overnight success that took 10 years to build. They often iterate 1000s of actions to work towards an epiphany, like the 10,000 experiments Edison undertook before finally getting his ‘lightbulb’. Let it be said that there are no big decisions. If you’re stuck or overwhelmed, decide your way out of it, small decision by small decision. 

Start now sound bite (Summary): 

Most big decisions are made up of lots of much smaller decisions. Decisions take split-nano-seconds to make but can take years to prepare for. Reduce the weight and size of decisions by breaking them down, knowing you will make lots of good (small) ones and a few bad (small) ones, along your journey to success. So start making more (small) decisions. 

Here are the paperback bonuses: 

• Pre-launch bonus (buy a copy BEFORE launch date) First 500 get in a NEW accountability mobile group with me (on Slack) 
• One book bonus (on launch day)How to create & launch (any) product or service & make at least ￡10k, in under 30 days (my system)Brand NEW. One off 3 hour online course (dates TBC)
• 5 book bonus (who get 5 copies on launch day)Roundtable Mastermind day live with me (Max 100; one day business & personal development mastermind at my HQ. & Get to Ask me anything. Full biz strategy session)

Start now: https://bit.ly/startnowbook

Share your screenshot to claim your bonuses