Have you ever hesitated on a decision for so long that you missed out on a great opportunity? I certainly have.
Sometimes we find ourselves analysing every little detail, second-guessing ourselves, and delaying action.
We fear making the wrong choice, so we put off decisions indefinitely.
But let’s face it, time waits for no one.
Opportunities come and go in the blink of an eye. That silver-tongued salesperson might move on to the next customer, and the excitement surrounding a project can fade away.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where instant gratification rules and success favours those who can make swift and decisive choices.
Sure, there’s a chance of regret or missteps, but what if we embrace a sense of urgency?
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Procrastination often leads to missed opportunities and a sense of longing for what could have been. Taking too long to make a decision can result in lost time, missed chances for growth, and even stagnation.
So, instead of overthinking and constantly analysing, let’s seize the moment.
Acting with a sense of urgency can move us forward, opening doors we never imagined. It’s like the saying goes: ‘Strike while the iron is hot.’
I know what you’re thinking, ‘What about careful consideration, weighing all the factors and didn’t you tell me to be patient in Vol. 010?’ Yes, that’s all true but life’s a balancing act. Figuring out when to be patient and when to be impatient is a skill to master.
There are times to be still and times to act.
Great things can happen when we act decisively and don’t allow hesitation to hold us back.
So, let’s embrace a sense of urgency, grab hold of the opportunities that come our way, and create a future filled with exhilarating outcomes.
Remember, fortune favours the bold.
Here are 3 benefits of deciding to be impatient:
1. Seizing Opportunities
Opportunity waits for no one.
Those who hesitate often miss out on life’s most remarkable possibilities.
When you embrace impatience, you tap into a sense of urgency that compels you to act swiftly. This proactive approach allows you to seize opportunities before they slip through your fingers.
By cultivating a mindset that values decisive action, you put yourself in a great position for progress.
This allows doors to new experiences to be open to you.
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”
John F. Kennedy
In 1961, American President John F. Kennedy challenged the United States to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
The goal was ambitious, but Kennedy understood the value of seizing opportunities and taking bold action.
His impatience for progress ignited a sense of urgency that mobilised the scientific community and spurred innovation, ultimately resulting in the successful moon landing on July 20, 1969.
2. Momentum and Progress
Impatience fuels momentum, igniting a powerful engine of progress.
When you make decisions quickly, you generate forward-moving energy that propels you towards your goals.
Each choice you make becomes a building block for growth, setting a chain reaction in motion.
This sense of urgency becomes a catalyst for positive change and personal transformation. Rather than being consumed by decision paralysis, which we spoke about in Vol. 011, you make rapid progress, gaining momentum with every step forward.
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
Henry Ford
In the early 1900s, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, embraced impatience as a stimulant for progress.
Rather than waiting for the perfect design or the ideal process, Ford believed in making forge ahead by taking action and continuously refining his approach.
This mindset led to the development of the assembly line. This revolutionised the manufacturing industry and enabled Ford to produce cars at an unprecedented rate.
3. Learning from Failure
Impatience empowers you to confront failure head-on.
When you try and fail, there will be invaluable lessons that are available to be learnt.
By acting briskly and making decisions promptly, you increase the number of attempts and experiments you engage in. While some decisions may fail, each setback becomes a valuable learning opportunity.
With a sense of urgency, you embrace failures as stepping stones towards success. Speed up your growth and increase your chances of discovering the right path by failing fast and learning faster.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, is known for his tenacity and perseverance in the face of failure. Edison embraced impatience as a way of learning from failure and making improvements.
Edison’s willingness to experiment, fail, and learn paved the way for countless technological advancements. This contributed to his success as one of the greatest inventors in history.
How to create a sense of urgency:
For me, the best way to create a sense of urgency is by reflecting on the following Latin phrase:
Memento mori
This phrase translates to ‘Remember you must die’.
Being aware of my mortality is not morbid, but rather serves me as a potent motivation for intentional living.
By embracing the fact that our life on earth is temporary, we are reminded of the fleeting nature of time and the importance of making the most of every precious moment.
This is one of the reasons I started Decisions. In March of this year, I turned 35 and couldn’t let another week go by without pursuing one of my dreams.
I didn’t want to turn 36, 40 or 45 and not have started.
If I’m fortunate enough to live through 4000+ weeks that means that I’ve already lived 1834 of those weeks.
You can calculate how many weeks you have lived with this neat site.
What are you going to do with the weeks that you have left?
Memento mori compels us to reassess our priorities, seize opportunities that align with our core values, and shed the shackles of procrastination.
It serves as a perpetual call to action, urging us to confront our fears, pursue our passions, and leave a meaningful legacy.
Let the phrase resonate in your mind, for it holds the key to unlocking a life lived with purpose and urgency.
The Latin word “vanitas” means vanity and it describes a specific type of still-life picture. We may define a vanitas as being: “a still life painting of symbolic objects that conveys a biblical or Christian message about the transience of earthly life when compared to the permanence of Christian values”. (source)
Below is a famous Vanitas painting by Philippe de Champaigne, which depicts:
- Life: the flower
- Death: the skull
- Time: the hourglass
In conclusion, cultivating a sense of urgency and embracing impatience in decision-making can be a powerful tool for your personal growth.
By seizing opportunities, generating momentum, and learning from failure, you can unlock astonishing results and transform your life.
History has shown us that those who act with a sense of urgency are the ones who leave a lasting mark on the world.
Whether it was John F. Kennedy’s ambitious moon landing goal, Henry Ford’s relentless pursuit of progress, or Thomas Edison’s ability to learn from failure, these visionaries harnessed the power of impatience to achieve extraordinary feats.
So, as you navigate life’s decisions, I encourage you to tap into your sense of urgency by reflecting on ‘Memento mori’.
Remember, it’s not about impulsive decision-making but rather a deliberate mindset that values the preciousness of time and takes decisive action when it matters most.
Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, and I’ll see you next week.
Ty
P.S. Say hey on Twitter and let me know your feedback on this volume of Decide, you can leave a comment here.
P.P.S. Doing things with a real sense of urgency.
