The Scene of a Decision

Sometimes even an idea you completely accept is more difficult to practice than you would like. Practice what you preach is somehing we hear a lot precisely because it can be so hard to do.


This time, the true peacher was Anthony Robbins when he said "never leave the scene of a decision without taking some action to implement it." I first heard this advice several years ago and I try to live by it, but sometimes the world arranges things to remind me of my principles. This morning was one such instance.

Early this morning, I realized that the laundry in the hamper would take at least two loads. I realized it would need to be a laundry day and reached for a noe pad to put it on my action list -- another practice I try to follow. A moment later, the current reached my psychological light bulb. I was at the scene of a decision and ptting the decision onto a list wasn't really taking action to implement it. My two principles were having a tug of war, and I was the rope.

When Robbins offered his advice, the context I picked up on was projects with others. Getting the commitment on paper is often vital, but the real payoff comes if you can take a physical action beyond that. This morning's realization was that the relaionship between decision and action is true even if I am making a commitment to myself. Hopefully, this will make me more aware that I've made a decision and more likely to take action on it.

I responded by scooping up the clothes and putting the first load into the wash. My goal, and the lesson here, is to put in enough action that the desired result is harder to stop. As I type this, one load is in the wash and the other is drying.

Over the next day or two, challenge yorself to be aware of decisions as they are made and turn that voice in the back of your brain into a coach. What can you do to put your decision into action?