If you can’t decide for yourself, someone else will. Indecision is surrendering one’s inalienable freedom to choose. Indecision facilitates purposelessness and if practiced long enough may lead to a feeling of dread for the meaningless of our actions.

I’ve been working with my kids on making decisions and following them through. A couple of years ago, our daughter decided to take martial arts. She has made some amazing progress in the last three years all the way up to red belt.  She overcame some reluctance to spar and her instructor often comments on how well she does. Our son, seeing how successful she is has entered into the school in a class specific to kids and has made some progress. Even with the progress, both have lost some interest. I’ve taken them to class despite their increasing last-minute reluctance. When we go they say they have fun and enjoy it. The principles of the art is something invaluable to both of them yet they don’t value it for themselves. Things like focusing energy, dedication and increased self-control are but a few of the things they have picked up even if they don’t realize it. Our son could use more but he follows his sister and her interests. Currently, she’s leaning towards more violin.  Thus, we are at a tipping point. Should I encourage them to make a decision or keep taking them despite a decrease of interest? Our talking with them does little to no good. It may even be making the situation worse. My wife has observed my daughter wants to make sure she doesn’t disappoint us.

What does the dilemma of a 5 and 9-year-old have to do with the Biz of You? Decisions and our ability to follow through is integral to being successful in our lives no matter how we define success. As I’ve stated to our kids, if they are unable to make a choice, I will. It costs money, time and energy which are limited with middle-aged parents. Money doesn’t grow on trees and time burns us to cinders every week. The money can go into paying things off or investing in college and the time can be spent recovering some of the health lost due to no time for such luxuries. What’s true of 5 and 9-year-olds are true of us in any age. When we are unable to make a decision for ourselves, someone else will. That someone may be our significant other, a boss, an organization or ideology we commit our time and money to.

We are a business whether we see ourselves that way or not. Other businesses consume our resources just as we consume the resources of others. We spend out time and energy at our jobs to get something in return just as our jobs get something in return for our investment. When we commit to a job or relationship, it is an investment. Why wouldn’t we approach that investment like a million dollar deal? As an example, a simple act of sexual gratification can end up cost a million or more after the marriage, kids and college. If we get divorced along the way, the cost can be even greater depending on how the courts decide for us. Being aware of the decisions we make and their potential consequences is what it comes down to. Make a choice, commit to it, let things unfold as they will and move on with life. That is managing the biz of you.

I apologize for any typos, punctuation or grammar errors.
Feel free to comment and let me know of my errors
so I may correct them and better my biz.