No, it’s not a typo. The word, we all know, is “decide”. To make up our mind. To pick something. To narrow down which kind of omelette we want at breakfast and proudly, confidently order it. With some hot sauce of course. To look through our options, write down some pros and cons, debate them with ourselves and select the best one. Right? That’s what it means to decide?
Well, almost.
Maybe you’re someone that is interested in business, someone that has their own business, just started a new venture up, or runs a huge company already. Whether you’re just starting off, or considering your options, there are going to be some significant road blocks and choices before you that you will have to overcome in order to be successful.
Before we talk about that though, let’s look at this word “decide” and think about some other words we know that end in -cide. Pesticide, homicide, suicide. Not pleasant words are they? The Latin root of those four simple letters “cide” literally mean “to cut off, or kill.” So when we come to this simple word that we use almost every day in our conversations - “decide” - what does that actually mean? If we are taking it literally, it means to “kill off” every other option! Let that sink in for a minute. Deciding on something means to simply and purposely choose not to consider any of the the other options again. They’re done, gone, behind you. You’ve made your choice!
When you “decide” to do something, if you haven’t literally made it the ONLY option, you haven’t truly decided. If you’ve “decided” to open up a business, but still have 43 backup plans, you haven’t really decided. If you’ve decided to become a pilot, but are still thinking that you might not have what it takes and won’t actually accomplish it, your odds of achieving that goal are significantly diminished. Note that whether you actually succeed in your business or venture, that is an entirely different conversation. For the purpose of this word, you must decide that you will be successful. No other outcome will suffice.
Now, does that mean backup plans, or a healthy dose or reality aren’t good to have? Absolutely not. It would be foolish in many cases to walk away from every other option, not truly being confident about succeeding in the chosen course of action. But to truly decide something, means setting your sight on that goal, dumping every excuse that your brain will try and throw at you, and just going for it. And being absolutely confident that you will succeed, because, well….you killed every other option, didn’t you?
So, the next time you make a decision - don’t look back. If you’ve picked a destination to travel to - stick with it. Pour yourself into planning for it and making it the best trip you possibly can. Stop wondering if another place would have been better. If you’ve chosen a school to attend, forget the other options, make the most of the education it will afford you. If you’ve chosen a partner in life, don’t waste a single second wondering what life would have been like with someone else. If you’ve chosen a job, absolutely crush it and give your all to being the best you can be where you are.
Still waffling about something in your life? Business? Relationship? Opportunity?
Just de-cide.