An inherent weakness that we all have, in both our personal career lives, is S-L-O-W decision making. You know you that need to do something that will take you closer to your goals, but for unknown reasons, you procrastinate.

Maybe it is less painful not to do something than it is to do it. And since the majority of people fear pain even down to the tiniest pin prick, they never take any risks, or any chances or any actions towards their dreams and thoughts.

Or perhaps it is like a restaurant menu that contains too many choices and you can not decide on what to select. Because you are lacking the power of concentration and the ability to take control of your thoughts (and life), well, you end up going "hungry" or settling for less than you really wanted.

Perhaps you are terrified of hearing the word "no", and so you never do what needs to be done. And, the sad lesson here is that when you do not ask for what you want, the answer will always be NO!

Whatever the reason, the facts show that the majority of people fail because of the lack of deciding to do something, WHEN it should be done. Those that are most successful in any endeavor are those who are quick to grasp opportunities by making quick decisions.

I once worked with a man we will call "Ted", who always procrastinated with EVERYTHING he did - work, meetings, deadlines for presentations and of course, making decisions. I even joked with him that he would be late for his own funeral. And here is the ironic part — "Ted" set his watch 15 minutes ahead to make sure that he was on time, and he WAS STILL CONSISTENTLY LATE!

Even at the risk of deciding wrongly, build the skill of deciding quickly one way or the other. You always have the freedom and power to change your mind. Plus, if you find that you did make the wrong decision, you get the added benefit of knowing what does not work. So you STILL WIN! Just do it quickly, and make the necessary changes when you know you are off course. Practice this for a week or two and you will notice an improvement in your ability to make decisions quickly.

So, here are some special and very simple exercises for you to train yourself. For the next week, I want you to do them to develop your skill in making quicker decisions in your daily affairs. Set your alarm clock for the time you wish to get up and arise at exactly that fixed time - not hit the snooze button! Also, anything that you should accomplish, do ahead of time. Show up for a meeting, a date or lunch appointment on time, or better yet 5-10 minutes early. By making quick decisions on the little things you will acquire the ability and confidence to make quick decisions on bigger, more important things.

Never, never, never procrastinate and you will ALWAYS get more of what you want, when you want it.

Copyright (c) 2008 Keith Shaw